SWAMP SPARROW. 
247 
introduced to the notice of the world. It is one of our 
summer visitants, arriving 1 in Pennsylvania early in 
April, frequenting low grounds, and river courses ; 
rearing two, and sometimes three, hrood in a season ; 
and returning to the south as the cold weather com- 
mences. The immense cypress swamps and extensive 
grassy flats of the Southern States, that border their 
numerous rivers, and the rich rice plantations, abound- 
ing with their favourite seeds and sustenance, appear 
to he the general winter resort, and grand annual 
rendezvous, of this and all the other species of sparrow 
that remain with us during summer. From the river 
Trent in North Carolina, to that of Savannah, and still 
farther south, I found this species very numerous ; not 
flying in flocks, but skulking among the canes, reeds, 
and grass, seeming shy and timorous, and more attached 
to the water than any other of their tribe. In the month 
of April numbers pass through Pennsylvania to the 
northward, which I conjecture from the circumstance 
of finding them at that season in particular parts of the 
woods, where, during the rest of the year, they are not 
to he seen. The fe w that remain frequent the swamps, 
and reedy borders of our creeks and rivers. They 
form their nest in the ground, sometimes in a tussock 
of rank grass, surrounded by water, and lay four eggs 
of a dirty white, spotted with rufous. So late as the 
15th of August, I have seen them feeding their young 
that were scarcely able to fly. Their principal food is 
grass seeds, wild oats, and insects. They have no song ; 
are distinguished by a single chip or cheep , uttered in 
a rather hoarser tone than that of the song sparrow ; 
flirt the tail as they fly ; seldom or never take to the 
trees, hut skulk from one low hush or swampy thicket 
to another. 
The swamp sparrow is five inches and a half long, 
and seven inches and a half in extent ; the back of the 
neck and front are black ; crown, bright bay, bordered 
with black ; a spot of yellowish white between the 
eye and nostril; sides of the neck and whole breast, 
dark ash ; chin, white ; a streak of black proceeds from 
