100 
PASSERC UL US SA VANN A. 
The nests are placed on the ground, usually in some open spot and frequently hy the 
way-side. The eggs are laid hy the first week in June, but a second litter is deposited 
later. The singularly marked young in their first plumage, accompany their parents in 
August, but these small communities assemble in flocks by the first of September, then 
commence their southward migration. Even as late in the season as that the males cannot 
resist the temptation of singing, and on very fine autumnal days one or two of the sweet 
notes of their summer performance can occasionally be heard, but the complete song is nev¬ 
er given at that time. 
GENUS Vn. PASSERCULUS. THE GRASS SPARROWS. 
Gen. Ch. Bill, rather pointed. Wings, longer than the tail which is slightly forked, but with the outer feathers short¬ 
ened. Tcrtiaries, longer than secondaries. Sternum, narrower than that of Zonotrachia, but with the keel a little higher, 
and the coracoids shorter, proportionately. Size, medium. 
There is usualy a yellow superciliary line. All the species are streaked above and below. No prominent white mark¬ 
ings on the tail. 
PASSERCULUS SAVANNA. 
Savannah Sparrow. 
Parsserculus savanna Bon., List, 1838. 
DESCRIPTION. 
Sp. Ch. Form, rather slender. Size, medium. Tongue, horny, provided with the terminal, hair-like fibers. Ster¬ 
num as given under generic characters. 
Color. Adult in summer. Upper portion of body, including wings and tail, dark-brown, with the edges of all the 
feathers, excepting anterior crown, whitish or pale-rufous. There are indications of whitish wing bare. A median line of 
yellowish-white extends from bill to occiput, where it is mixed with dark-brown. Superciliary line and ring around eye, 
yellow. Lores and ear coverts, dusky, with the feathers back of the latter whitish, mixed with dark-brown. Under por¬ 
tions, including under wing coverts, white, streaked with dark-brown on all portions, excepting abdomen and under tail 
coverts. Edge of wing, white. Bill, brown, lower mandible, lighter. Feet, pale-brown. 
Adult in winter. Differs from tbe above in being overwashed with yellowish-rufous below and on the sides of the head. 
The yellow superciliary line is not as extended. 
Young.. The yellow over the eye is much restricted. The dark-brown above is lighter and the streakings below are 
edged with rufous. The ear coverts are also overwashed with rufous. 
Young of the year. Show but little of the yellow line. There is strong overwashing of rufous above and below. The 
occiput is frequently tinged with yellow. 
Nestlings. Are more finely streaked below where there is a strong tinge of yellowish. There is no indication what¬ 
ever of the yellow superciliary line. Sexes similar in all stages. 
OBSERVATIONS. 
Specimens vary considerably in shade of color, and also in size. Sometimes the markings above are very pale, and 
there are comparatively few streaks below, but others will be extremely dark above and more heavily streaked below, 
when there Is often a central spot on the breast. The throat is sometimes white, then the streakings unite and form max¬ 
illary lines. 
Distinguished from princeps by the smaller size and darker color; from rostralus by the smaller bill. Known from other 
Sparrows by the yellow superciliary line, combined with the white edge of the wing and streakings below. Distributed, 
in summer, throughout the Continent, from the latitude of Pennsylvania to the far North. Winters from the latitude of 
Washington, south to Florida and Mexico. 
DIMENSIONS. 
Average measurements of forty specimens from Florida and New England. Length, 5*75; stretch, 9*45; wing, 2*75; tail, 
l - 90; bill, *45; tarsus, *82. Longest specimen, G - 27; greatest extent of wing, 9*G0; longest wing, 3*00; tail, 2*25; bill, *49; 
tarsus, *87. Shortest specimen, 5*25; smallest extent of wing, 7*95; shortest wing, 2*50; tail,l*81; bill, *45; tarsus, *70. 
