[Concord, Mass.]
1899
May             
  would presently reappear at the edge of the cove and after
a short reconnaisance begin feeding again: But however busily
engaged at the seed no sight or sound escaped him. If a 
chipmunk rustled the dry leaves on the neighboring hillside    
he would stand erect and crane up his neck turning his
 head slowly from side to side to watch or listen. When a
Swift, of which there were many flying about, passed close
overhead with a sound of rushing wings the sparrow would
crouch close to the ground and remain motionless for a 
minute or more. But when nothing occurred to excite his
suspicions he would feed busily and unconcernedly for minutes
at a time. Some of the seed had sifted down among the
dry leaves and for this he scratched precisely in the
manner of a Fox Sparrow making first a forward hop of
about two inches and then a vigorous backward jump &
kick which scattered behind him all the leaves that his
feet had clutched. In this manner he would quickly clear
a consoderable [sic] [considerable] space and then devote himself to the 
uncovered seeds which he would pick up one by one & roll
in his bill after the manner of most Sparrows.
[margin]Notes on
Lincoln's Finch.[/margin]
  He was invariably silent when at the seed bed but within
the recesses of his favorite thicket he sang fully at
all hours especially in the morning or early forenoon
or when the sun had just emerged from a cloud. 
He never sang from the top of a bush like a Song Sparrow
but usually from some perch only a yard or so above
the ground in the depths of the covet and not infrequently 
on the ground itself as he rambled from place to
place hopping slowly over the dry leaves. His voice
was rich and sweet at times but it had little carrying
power & was not distinctly audible at a greater distance
96