102 
PALLID SPARROW. 
. Color. Adult in summer. Upper portion of body yellowish-white, with the centers of the feathers dark-brown, en¬ 
circled by rufous. Top of head, yellowish-rufous, streaked with dark-brown, but a median line of yellowish-white extends 
from the bill to occiput. Wings and tail, brown, with the outer edges of all the feathers whitish. There is only a faint 
indication of one wing bar. Pure-white beneath with the maxillaries, breast, sides, and flanks, streaked with brown which 
is edged with rufous. Ring around eye and superciliary line, yellow. Edge of wing, white, tinged with pale-yellow. 
Young. Quite rufous above, where the colors are more suffused. There is also no yellow superciliary line, and the 
bend of the wing is white. Sexes similar in all stages. 
OBSERVATIONS. 
There is usually a clustering of streakings on the breast forming a central spot, otherwise there is a uniformity of col¬ 
or. Known from all other allied species by its pale color and large size. It might be confounded with rostratus, however, 
were it not for the large bill of the latter. Found in the winter along the coast of Massachusetts, south to Long Island. 
Doubtless breeds on some of the islands off the coast of Arctic America. Although princeps is not a bird of Florida, I have 
ventured to insert this description with the plate, considering the species of sufficient importance to justify this course. 
DIMENSIONS. 
Average measurements. Length, 6‘25; stretch, 11'CO; wing, 3-28; tail, 2-50; bill, - 4G; tarsus, -95. Longest specimen, 
6 - 30; greatest' extent of wing, 11'20; longest wing, 3 - 30; tail, 2 - 60; bill, '52; tarsus, l - 00. Shortest specimen, 6'20; small¬ 
est extent of wing, 10‘90: shortest wing, 3'10; tail, 240; bill, ‘40; tarsus, '90. 
HABITS. 
On December 4, 1868, I was walking over the Ipswich sand hills in search of Lapland 
Buntings, when a little bird rose wildly from the beach grass in front of me, I took a snap 
shot and killed the first specimen of Passerculus princeps ever brought to notice. For. two 
years this was the only specimen in existence. I took two more, October 14 and 15, 1871, 
also on the Ipswich sand hills, then two were taken on Long Island and were sent to me 
by Mr. H. Herrick for identification. After this several were obtained at Ipswich but it 
was not until April 4, 1874, that I saw the bird in its full spring plumage. This speci¬ 
men (a male) of which I give a plate, I shot on a tree at Ipswich, about a mile from the 
beach. Mr. Wm. Brewster has since obtained a fine female at Point Lepreaux, N. B. on 
April 11, 1876. A third which was obtained at Cape Elizabeth, March 15, 1875, is in 
the collection of Mr. N. C. Brown of Portland. Mr. Jesse Warren found them quite com¬ 
mon at Brant Bock in the autumn some two years ago. Mr. C. II. Merriam obtained one 
at New Haven, November 4, 1875, and Mr. H. B. Bailey records it from Gravesend, L. I. 
Thus it will be seen that the Pallid Sparrow may be found all along the coast from 
New Brunswick to Long Island, and probably south of that point. Mr. Brown also saw it 
at Lake Umbagog, N. IT., but I think its occurrence so far inland is quite exceptional, as 
it is without doubt a maritime species breeding on islands and sandy beaches of the far 
North. I was disappointed at not finding it on the Magdalen Islands, Gulf of St. Law¬ 
rence, where I obtained nothing but typical savanna. Thus its nesting habits are entirely 
unknown. Neither did I ever hear it utter a note except the chirp of alarm which does 
not .differ from that of the Savannah. In habits princeps also resembles the latter named 
species somewhat but is quite timid, rising at long gun shot it will dart quickly over the 
tops of the sand hills and alight in some thick patch of beach grass through which it runs 
nimbly. I have sometimes seen it on the salt marshes associating with the Savannahs and 
occasionally in apple orchards a short distance from the ocean, but it chooses those wind¬ 
swept, sandy wastes which occupy so much of the sea coast of New England and adjacent 
sections. I know of but few of the Sparrows that can be more readily distinguished than 
this species, which is due to its pale tints and large size. 
