The Swamp Sparrow 
Arrives here, 
April 1st and 
al 
se 
21 
le 
m 
tl 
w 
a' 
(Saratoga Springs), about 
departs, if it does at all, 
A large series of eggs of this species show 
many styles of markings, of various shades of 
brown, od ground colors varying from a deli 
cate shade of greenish white to a medium green. 
[Six selected sets now before me may be thus 
described : 
Set I. May 19, 1886, Canada. Collected by J 
E. Wagner. Four eggs, light pea green, 
marked with spots and cloudings of drab and 
\ andyke brown. In three of the eggs these 
markings form indistinct wreaths near the 
greater ends, and there are also a few laven- 
der spots. In the other one the markings are 
more evenly distributed all over the surface of 
the egg: .80x.56; 81 x .56 ; .S0x.57; ,80x.57. 
Set II. June 3, 1886, Philadelphia County, 
Pennsylvania. Collected by Isaac S. Reiff. 
Four eggs, bright pea green, heavily marked 
with spots and blotches of sepia and bistre. The 
markings areconfluentatthe greater ends, where 
they entirely obscure the ground color, leaving 
the remainder of the surface comparatively 
unmarked, l’hey also have some cloudings of 
drab: .76 x.59; .79 x.59; .79x.59; .74x.60. 
Set III. June 8 , 1884, Philadelphia County, 
Pennsylvania. Collected by Isaac S. Reiff. 
Five eggs, dull pea green, clouded with drab, 
and with a few spots of Vandyke brown: .84 x 
•55; (an unusually large egg for this species) 
.75 x . 68 ; .79 x .57 ; .76x.58; .76 x .58. 
Set IV. May 30, 1882. Philadelphia County, 
Pennsylvania. Collected by Isaac S. Reiff. 
Four eggs, light pea green, spotted with raw 
umber, and.elouded with drab. The markings 
extend all over the surface of the eggs, but are 
heavier at the greater ends : ,81x.55; .80 x. 50- 
.80 x .56 ; .81 x .55. 
Set V. May 28, 1886. Philadelphia County, 
Pennsylvania. Collected by Isaac S. Reiff. 
Five eggs, dull pea green clouded and spotted 
with drab and drab-gray. Also a few mark- 
ings of bistre : .72 x .58; .74 x.59; ,71x.57; .73 
x .58 ; .74 x .56. 
Set VI. May 28. 1886. Philadelphia County, 
Pennsylvania. Collected by Isaac S. Reiff. 
Four eggs, dull pea green, clouded and spotted 
over the whole surface with drab: .77 x. 59 ; .77 
x.59; ,78x.58; .76 x .59. 
The eggs of this species can be distinguished 
at a glance from those of the Song Sparrow 
(Melospiza fctscidta') by the peculiar clouded 
and indistinct appearance of the markings of 
the former. The eggs of M. fasciata , on the 
contrary, as a rule have smaller markings and 
much more distinct ones, while the clouded ef- 
fect of those of M. palustris is entirely want- 
ing.— J. p. N.] 
O.& o. XIII. Apr. 1888 p. OS-St. 
the nest. The earnest, seuo ^ _ 
taken were two of five each, May 5th, 
1877, and the latest, June 12th and 13th, 
1881. — TV. A*. Tarrant , Saratoga, JSF. Y. 
*We have a set of six taken by Delos 
Hatch, Oak Centre, Wis., May 27, 1881. — • 
Ed.] 
O.&O. Vll. Jun. 1883. p. /3H -li 4". 
Swamp Sparrow. — In the O. and O. fot 
June, 1882, W. P. Tarrant of Saratoga, N. 
Y., says that the latest he has ever taken 
the eggs of this bird was on June 15th. 
July 17, 1882, in the town of Livonia, N. 
Y., I took a set of four. There was also 
one egg of the Cow Bird in the nest. The 
eggs were badly incubated. One parent 
was taken, so the iclentifi<^t^on^,p^|i^y|gQ2.p. /Jr/ 
C. II. Wilder , Syracuse, W. Y 
IS 
397 . The Swamp Sparrow. By W. P. Tarrant. Ibid., pp. 129 , 130 . 
-Account of its nesting habits as observed at Saratoga Springs, N. Y. . ' " jL Hi 
