49 
1874. 
June 27. 
-July 3. 
Goturniculus passerinus. 
Abundant on the coininons east of the to\ 7 n over which 
they v/ero evenly distributed for an extent of three or 
four miles. Often there were three or four pairs 
reeding in an area of one hundred yards square. Some 
individuals 7/ero shy but as a rule they vrere tamer than 
I have found them at Concord. The males usually sang 
on the tops of small stunted red cedars scattered over 
t e plain, or whan these were lacking on bayberry bushes 
and sometimos on tall weed-stalks. The ordinary song * 
resembles the shrilling of some of the grasshoppers; 
it IS short, feeble, and all on the same key. They 
have another song, a sputtering, disconnected strain 
often lasting half a minute, and resembling that of the 
Long-billed Marsh Wren but longer and less emphatic. 
he chirp of both sexes is different from that of any 
other Sparrow of my acquaintance; it is sharp, and has 
from one to three syllables. it resembles the chirping 
of certain crickets. when flushed those Sparrows rise 
swiftly and vigorously, twisting a little though not as 
muhh as P..SMann^ the flight then becomes steady and 
direct and is performed in long, regular ungulations, the 
wings being vibrated rapidly like those of Cistothorus. 
The birds when singing singing sit erect v/ith their backs 
much hunched; on the ground they both run and hop, I 
did not see any lie closely like G. henslov/ii . Two 
broods of young on wing were seen. They chirped al¬ 
most precisely like the adult bird (Nantucket). 
We killed thirty-six to-day. Maynard took a nest 
with five fresh eggs. It was built in a small tract of 
beach grass. The female sat closely and when started 
pretended lameness. My previous observations on this 
species are perfectly correct. I have a now one one 
narely that the bird■frequently quivers its wings like a 
Bluebird (Nantucket). 
1876. 
Sopt. 20. 
Numerous on the Commons in little parties of five 
or six among the ranker growths of grass. They lay 
closely and could not be soon on the ground. Perfeetlv 
silent. Plight at this season very like that of the Sa^u 
anna sparrow shot three in fall plumage and-one half 
way between first and fall plumage (Nantucket). 
22. Abundant all over the Commons running in the sandy 
ruts ahead of our horse and sometimes almost under his 
leet. 
