490 
GRAN1 VOROTJS BIRDS. 
from April to October ; migrating towards the South in 
severe weather, though many pass the whole winter in 
the Middle States. In Georgia and West Florida they 
are rather numerous at this season, migrating in quest of 
food probably from the West ; and the whole species gen- 
erally show a predilection for the warm and sheltered 
vicinage of the sea, where the seeds and insects they feed 
on are most abundant. On their first arrival in Massa- 
chusetts, they frequent the sandy beaches and shores of 
the bays in quest of Cicindelce and other coleopterous in- 
sects, which frequent such situations ; and they are at this 
time exceedingly fat, though their moult is not completed. 
In summer this shy and timid species lives wholly in pas- 
ture or grass fields, and often descends to the ground in 
quest of food. Its nest, also laid in the grass, very 
similar to that of the Song-Sparrow, is usually built about 
the close of April. 
In the month of March, in Georgia, I observed these 
Sparrows in the open grassy pine woods, on the margins 
of small swamps or galls. On being suddenly surprised, 
they often flew off a little distance, and then, if followed, 
descended to the ground and ran and hid closely in the 
tall tufts of grass. Their notes, at this time, were very 
long, piping, and elevated, and resembled often tslie tship 
tship tship tship tship tship, then tslie ch 3 tsh’ tsh 3 tsh 3 tsh 3 
and tsh 3 tsh 3 tsh 3 tsh 3 tsh 3 . Some of these notes were as 
fine and lively as those of the Canary, loud, echoing, 
and cheerful. At times, this species also utters a note 
almost exactly similar to the chirpings of a cricket, so 
that it might easily be mistaken for that insect. 
The length of this species is about 6 inches, and 9 in alar dimen- 
sions. (The female about 5J inches long.) The head is dusky- 
brown, with some shades of bay, and divided indistinctly in the cen- 
tre by a yellowish- white line. The rest of the plumage above is a 
