SA VANNAH SPA RRO W. 343 



to the State of New York, and is generally resident in these 

 places, though rarely found inland, or far from the sea-shore. 

 The drawing of this bird was in the hands of the engraver 

 before I was aware that the male (a figure of which will appear 

 in Vol. II.) was so much its superior in beauty of markings 

 and in general colours. With a representation of the male 

 will also be given particulars of their nest, eggs, and manners, 

 which, from the season, and the few specimens I had the 

 opportunity of procuring, I was at that time unable to collect. 

 I have since found these birds numerous on the sea-shore in 

 the State of New Jersey, particularly near Great Egg Harbour. 

 A pair of these I presented to Mr Peale of this city, in whose 

 noble collection they now occupy a place. 



The female of the Savannah sparrow is five inches and a 

 half long, and eight and a half in extent ; the plumage of the 

 back is mottled with black, bright bay, and whitish ; chin, 

 white ; breast, marked with pointed spots of black, edged with 

 bay, running in chains from each base of the lower mandible ; 

 sides, touched with long streaks of the same ; temples, marked 

 with a spot of delicate yellow ; ear- feathers, slightly tinged 

 with the same ; belly, white, and a little streaked ; inside of 

 the shoulders and lining of the wing, pale yellowish ; first 

 and second rows of wing- coverts, tipt with whitish; secondaries 

 next the body, pointed and very black, edged also with bay ; 

 tail, slightly forked, and without any white feathers ; legs, 

 pale flesh colour ; hind claw, pretty long. 



The very slight distinctions of colour which nature has 

 drawn between many distinct species of this family of finches, 

 render these minute and tedious descriptions absolutely neces- 

 sary, that the particular species may be precisely discrimi- 

 nated. 



