IPSWICH SPARROW. 59 
IPSWICH SPARROW. 
(AmmodramHS jrrinceps.) 
The Ipswich sparrow, a comparatively new bird to science, was dis- 
covered by Mr. C. J. Maynard among the sand hills of Ipswich, Mass., 
in 1868. Its breeding place was not known nntil 1884. and its breed- 
ing range was fully established only a few years ago. In 1804 Dr. 
Jonathan Dwight, jr., discovered that it breeds only on Sable Island, 
a small sandy islet about 100 miles off the coast of Nova Scotia. In 
winter it migrates to the mainland and may be found along the coast 
south to New Jersey and as an accidental visitant as far as Georgia. 
The bird is likely to be confused with its congener, tin 1 savanna spar- 
row, and with the vesper sparrow, but it is lighter and larger than the 
former, and in flight may be readily distinguished from the latter by 
the absence of white in its outspread tail. It is a very rare bird, and 
this fact, added to its exceedingly limited range, prevents it from 
having any appreciable economic importance. 
The notes on its food habits, contained in Dr. Dwight 's compre- 
hensive monograph, 1 are based on the examination of 56 stomachs, 
which he collected both in winter and summer and submitted for 
examination to Prof. F. E. L.Beal. It was found that in summer four- 
fifths of the food consists of animal matter, while in winter more than 
four-fifths is vegetable matter. A great deal of mineral matter is 
also taken into the stomach. It is a curious fact that one-third of 
the contents of winter stomachs was found to be sand. The vege- 
table food comprises seeds and berries. Grass seed, particularly in 
winter, forms the staple diet, the little round red seeds of Erayrostis 
being very often selected. Lamb's-quarters, different polygonums, 
and dock are also taken, and one stomach collected on the sand hills 
of Rockaway Beach, Long Island, on December 17, contained several 
kernels of rye. The fruit element consists of bayberries, blueberries, 
and bunchberries. 
The animal food is made up of beetles, wasp-like insects, bugs, cat- 
erpillars, flies, spiders, and snails. In June the most common article 
of diet is the little dung-beetle (Aphodius fimetarius). Tiger-beetles 
arc also eaten, a rather unusual element of sparrow fare, but due, 
probably, to tin 1 abundance of these active insects upon the sand dunes 
which the bird frequents. 
SAVANNA SPARROW. 
[Anunodramus xandwicliensis savanna and Ammodramus a. alaudinus.) 
The savanna sparrow, as just stated, resembles the Ipswich spar- 
row. There is' also some danger of confusing it with the song sparrow, 
to which it is similar in general appearance; but it lacks the black 
breast patch which is usually so conspicuous in the latter, and has 
Memoirs Nuttall Ornithological Club, No. II, pp. 41.42, 1895. 
