614 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts, and Letters. 
560. Chipping Sparrow. 
Spizella socialis (Wils.). 
The Chipping Sparrow was occasionally observed, generally 
not far from shrubbery or bushes. On May 21 one of these 
birds was seen building a nest. The site chosen was a low bush 
in a grove of scattered timber. The nest, about half com¬ 
pleted, was made of grass, the usual lining of hair not yet hav¬ 
ing been added. No nest containing eggs was found. 
561. Clay-cohored Sparrow. 
Spizella pallida (Swains,). 
The Clay-colored Sparrow is a common bird in the region 
visited. Its favorite haunts seem to be the portions of prairie 
where there are numerous, low willows and bushes growing in 
scattered clumps. In such localities the nest may be found. 
It is situated on the ground at the base of a tuft of the long, 
dry grass of the previous year. Occasionally it is built ini the 
matted grass at the foot of a small bush. The 1 nests observed 
were not sunk into the earth but were built on the surface. The 
body of the nest is composed of comparatively coarse grass 
stems, while the cavity—which is deeply cupped and rounded— 
is lined with very "fine grasses and a small amount of hair. The 
walls of the nest bend inward near the top, thus making the 
inside diameter less at the top than it is farther down in the 
cavity. 0'ne nest, which was built at the foot of a bush and 
closely hidden in the grass, is rather peculiar in that on one side 
the wall bends in over the hollow, forming quite an arch. Of 
the nests examined, the cavities vary but little in size, measur¬ 
ing very close to two inches in diameter and one and one-half 
inches in depth. In outside measurements, however, the nests 
differ considerably, some being much bulkier than others. Gen¬ 
erally the nest is considerably longer in one diameter. Two 
specimens measure, respectively: two and three-fourths by three 
and one-half inches; and three by four and one-half inches, in 
outside diameters, the first one being near the average size. The 
outside depth of the nest is, in specimens measured, about two 
inches. On the whole, the nest of this bird is an attractive and 
cozy little structure. So securely hidden are they in the grass 
