Vol. XVI"] 
1899 J 
Chapman, I he Seaside Sfiarrovjs. 
3 
islands of Banana River, on the marshes north of this lagoon, 
west to the Indian River, north along this body of water to the 
Haulover Canal. It never occurs out of the marsh grass or low 
water bush. Thus the bird is confined to a belt of country not 
over a quarter of a mile wide and about ten miles long if fol- 
lowed through its extent.” 
When one considers the abundance of this Sparrow and that 
t le region it inhabits is in no sense insolated, but that both to the 
• n ° rth and south of the area outlined above there are marshes appar- 
ently similar to those it occupies, its restriction to a habitat only 
a few square miles in extent makes its distribution unique amoiw 
American birds. In color it is the most strongly characterized 
form of the group, the black which prevails on the upper parts and 
so heavily streaks almost the entire under parts, not being equalled 
in intensity or extent in any of its congeners. Seventeen speci- 
mens taken in March, 1898, at the mouth of Dummitt’s Creek- 
are m comparatively unworn plumage and present little variation 
m color. Their average measurements are : wing, 2 . S o • tail 
2.045 bill from nostril, .43 inches. 
I he nearest point at which another representative of this °toub 
has been secured is Matanzas Inlet, Florida. 
Ammodramus merit imus sennetti Allen, Auk, V, ,888, 286 (onV 
descr.); Chapman, Bull. Am. Mns. Nat. Hist. Ill, 1891, 323 (habils p 
Rhoads, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1892, 109. 
As the second most distinct form in the group and the only 
one, except A. nigrescens, which apparently does not intewade 
with its allies, we may next treat of the Seaside Finch resident 
at Corpus Christi, Texas. 
In April, 1891, I found the bird abundant and breeding in 
the marshes of Nueces Bay. A series of thirteen specimens 
shows that it more nearly resembles true maritimus than it does 
any other member of the group. It is, however, quite distinct 
T.l m ’ b61ng distin g uish ed chiefly by its greener color 
and the black centers to the feathers of the upper parts. To the 
form geographically nearest to it, the dark Seaside Sparrow 
