76 



YELLOW AVINGED SPARROW. 

 FRINGILLA PASSERINA. 

 [Plate XXIV.— Fig. 5.] 



Pe ale's Museum^ No. 6585. 



THIS small species is now for the first time introduced to the 

 notice of the public. I can, however, say little towards illustrating 

 its history, which, like that of many individuals of the human race, 

 would be but a dull detail of humble obscurity. It inhabits the 

 lower parts of New York and Pennsylvania; is very numerous on 

 Staten island, where I first observed it ; and occurs also along the 

 sea coast of New Jersey. But tho it breeds in each of these places, 

 it does not remain in any of them during the winter. It has a short, 

 weak, interrupted chirrup, which it occasionally utters from the 

 fences and tops of low bushes. Its nest is fixed on the ground, 

 among the grass; is formed of loose dry grass, and lined with hair 

 and fibrous roots of plants. The eggs are five, of a greyish white 

 sprinkled with brown. On the first of August I found the female 

 sitting. 



I cannot say what extent of range this species has^ having 

 never met with it in the southern states ; tho I have no doubt that 

 it winters there with many others of its tribe. It is the scarcest 

 of all our summer Sparrows. Its food consists principally of grass 

 seeds, and the larvae of insects, which it is almost continually in 

 search of among the loose soil and on the surface, consequently it 

 is more useful to the farmer than otherwise. 



The length of this species is five inches, extent eight inches; 

 upper part of the head blackish, divided by a slight line of white ; 

 hind head and neck above marked with short lateral touches of 



