234 
SONG SPARROW. 
nada to the southern boundaries of Georgia; but Mr. Abbot in- 
forms me, that he knows of only one or two species that remain 
in that part of Georgia during the summer. 
The Song Sparrow builds in the ground, under a tuft of grass; 
the nest is formed of fine dr)'^ grass, and lined with horse hair; 
the eggs are four or five, thickly marked with spots of reddish 
brown on a white, sometimes bluish white ground; if not in- 
terrupted, he raises three broods in the season. I have found his 
nest with young as early as the twenty-sixth of April, and as late 
as the twelfth of August. What is singular, the same bird often 
fixes his nest in a cedar tree, five or six feet from the ground. 
Supposing this to have been a variety, or different species, I 
have examined the bird, nest and eggs, with particular care, 
several times; but found no difference. I have observed the 
same accidental habit in the Red-winged Blackbird, which 
sometimes builds among the grass, as well as on alder bushes. 
This species is six inches and a half long, and eight and a 
half in extent; upper part of the head dark chestnut, divided, 
laterally, by a line of pale dirty white; spot at each nostril yel- 
low ochre; line over the eye inclining to ash; chin white; streak 
from the lower mandible, slit of the mouth, and posterior angle 
of the eye, dark chestnut; breast and sides under the wings thick- 
ly marked with long pointed spots of dark chestnut, centered 
with black, and running in chains; belly white; vent yellow 
ochre, streaked with brown; back streaked with black, bay, 
and pale ochre; tail brown, rounded at the end, the two middle 
feathers streaked down their centres with black; legs flesh co- 
loured; wing coverts black, broadly edged with bay, and tipt 
with yellowish white; wings dark brown. The female is scarcely 
distinguishable by its plumage from the male. The bill in both 
horn coloured. 
