Birds of the Adirondack Region. 
C.H,Merria». 
6q Spizella pusilla ( Wilson) Bonaparte. Field Sparrow. - Dr A. 
K Fisher writes me that he has seen the Field Sparrow about the southern 
end of Lake George, in Warren County, and that O. B. Lockhart has 
sets of eggs taken there. Both Mr. A. Jenings Dayan and myself have 
found it in the Black River Valley, in Lewis County, where, howeve., 
is a very rare bird. ^ N.O.O. 0|O Ct, 1881, P-230 
Notes, Shelter Island, N.Y. 
W. W. Worthington. 
Field Spar4 rows 
&A/ii/l/4x>0 (rwttuL <2 jf ^ 
€>.& O. X. May. 1885 . p. VO. 
L«ng Island Bird Notes. Wm. Dutcher 
20. Spizella pusilla. FiEtD Sparrow. — Mr. S. B. Strong, 
of Setauket, Suffolk Co., N. Y., brought me a fine specimen, 
which he had shot on his farm January 31, 1885. It is worthy of 
record, as its stay must have been voluntary, there being no 
evidence on the bird itself to lead me to believe that it bad been 
hurt or disabled in any manner. 
Auk, 8. Oct. , 1886. p. J/Y/Z . 
A Tame Field Sparrow. — An unusual experience with a Field Sparrow 
(Spizella pusilla), had while in camp near Paul Smith’s, N. Y., this spring, 
seems worthy of note. I will transcribe from my note-book the account 
of it made at the time. 
“May 3, 1908. — Last night and early this morning there was a heavy 
fail of snow, covering the ground to a depth of 8 to 10 inches. The birds 
had a hard time of it and a number of Juncos and Chipping Sparrows took 
refuge in our tents during the night. In the morning there were fifteen 
or twenty birds — Juncos, Vesper, Chipping, and two Field Sparrows — 
searching for food about the tents, so, about ten o’clock, I scattered bread 
crumbs and some grass seed which we happened to have in camp. While 
doing this one of the Field Sparrows, a female, hopped right up to me, 
paying no heed to my presence or movements, hopped on to my feet when 
I stood still, allowed me to walk rapidly up to her, kneel down and stroke 
her with my hand, in fact permitted me to handle her quite roughly without 
showing the slightest sign of timidity. Once I pushed her away from the 
seed, but she would not go and instead actually forced her head under my 
fingers, raising them up in order to reach the seed beneath them. Another 
time she squeezed herself in between my knees while I was kneeling on the 
ground, and fed on some seed beneath me. The presence of other people 
did not frighten her, for four of my men came up to watch me and she 
permitted them also to touch her — all the time feeding as busily as she 
could. 
“ Her fearlessness was probably not due to hunger alone, for after having 
eaten all she wanted, she perched herself on a heap of straw under a tent- 
fiy close by, tucked her head under her wing and went to sleep. Ten 
or fifteen minutes later I woke her up, whereupon, after preening herself 
for a minute or two, she flew over to me and resumed feeding from my hand. 
Swift and sudden movements on my part, such as casting seed, would not 
frighten her in the least, even though my hand might pass within a few 
inches of her. Several times pieces of bread or seed would strike her quite 
forcibly, but even that would not disturb her. The other birds were all 
comparatively shy, the other Field Sparrow, a male, particularly so, 
though a few would allow me to approach within eight of ten feet of them. 
The grass seed was invariably taken in preference to the bread crumbs.” — 
E. Seymour .Woodruff, State Forester, Albany, N. Y. 
A ok 25 0ct,l»0e,p^4,^ 
Si 
