BIRDS OF PENNSYLVANIA. 
233 
Habitat. — Northern portions of the Northern Hemisphere, breeding far north ; in 
North America south in winter to the northern United States, irregularly to the Mid- 
dle States, accidentally to South Carolina, and abundantly in the interior to Kansas 
and Colorado. 
The Lapland Long-spnr is a tolerably common and reg-ular visitor 
about Lake Erie, and at the bay, from November until late in March, 
when it is found in small flocks, or scattered individuals are often seen 
in company with Horned Larks, Snowflakes or other species of the spar- 
row tribe. In other parts of Pennsylvania this species occurs as a rather 
rare and irreg-ular winter visitor, and it appears to visit the eastern and 
southern parts of the state only in excessively cold weather, accompa- 
nied by g-reat snow falls. Feeds on seeds of weeds and grasses, and fre- 
quents the same localities as the Snowflake. 
Genus POOC-ffiTES Baird. 
Poocaetes gramineus (Gmel.). 
Vesper Sparrow ; Grass Finch ; Bay -winged Bunting. 
Description {Plate 32. Fig. I). 
Length about 6 inches ; extent about 10 inches. 
No yellow anywhere ; outer tail feathers partly white, above brownish streaked 
with dusky ; below dull white, streaked on sides, throat and breast with pale brown- 
ish ; lesser wing-coverts chestnut. 
Habitat. — Eastern North America to the plains, from Nova Scotia and Ontario 
southward ; breeds from Virginia, Kentucky and Missouri northward. 
The Bay -winged Bunting- is a common summer resident in Pennsyl- 
vania, and during- the winter months is quite frequently to be met with ' 
in the southern portions of the state. This plainly attired song-ster may 
readily be recognized from other of the FringilUdoi by the bright chest- 
nut colored lesser iving-coverts and the white lateral tail feathers, the 
latter being most conspicuous when the bird is flying. These birds in- 
habit chiefly diy pasture fields and meadows ; they visit plowed grounds, 
and are frequently to be observed perched on fence rails in fields or 
along the roadsides, and, as Nuttall remarks, they are fond of dusting 
themselves and basking in dry places. Although the Yesper Sparrow 
is mainly terrestrial in habits, he may often be seen searching most in- 
dustriously in apple trees for various forms of insect life. These birds, 
when not engaged in breeding, are more or less gregarious and are often 
seen in company with other sparrows. The nest, composed of dried 
grasses, is built in a dei^ression in the ground. The top of the nest is 
generally on a level with the hollow in which it rests ; sometimes it is 
partly concealed by overlianging grasses ; eggs, four to five, grayish- 
white or rusty-brown, spotted, lined and blotched with brown and black ; 
about .83 of an inch long and .60 of an inch wide. 
Bay-winged Buntings subsist principally on seeds of grasses, weeds 
t 
