SAVANNAH SPARROW. 
343 
to the state of New York, and is generally resident in these 
places, though rarely found inland, or far from the sea-shore. 
The drawing of this bird was in the hands of the engraver 
before I was aware that the male, (a figure of which will 
appear in Yol. II,) was so much its superior in beauty of 
markings and in general colours. With a representation of 
the male will also be given particulars of their nest, eggs, and 
manners, which, from the season, and the few specimens I 
had the opportunity of procuring, I was at that time unable 
to collect. I have since found these birds numerous on the 
sea-shore, in the state of New Jersey, particularly near Great 
Egg Harbour. A pair of these I presented to Mr Peale of 
this city, in whose noble collection they now occupy a place. 
The female of the Savannah Sparrow is five inches and a 
half long, and eight and a half in extent ; the plumage of the 
back is mottled with black, bright bay, and whitish ; chin, 
white ; breast, marked with pointed spots of black, edged with 
bay, running in chains from each base of the lower mandible ; 
sides, touched with long streaks of the same ; temples, marked 
with a spot of delicate yellow; ear-feathers, slightly tinged 
with the same ; belly, white, and a little streaked ; inside of 
the shoulders, and lining of the wing, pale yellowish; first 
and second rows of wing-coverts, tipt with whitish ; secondaries 
next the body, pointed and very black, edged also with bay ; 
tail, slightly forked, and without any white feathers; legs, 
pale flesh colour; hind claw, pretty long. 
The very slight distinctions of colour which nature has 
drawn between many distinct species of this family of Finches, 
render these minute and tedious descriptions absolutely neces- 
sary, that the particular species may be precisely discriminated. 
