TOWNSEND AND ALLEN: LABRADOR BIRDS. 
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dor journal for June 27, 1833. The locality was American Harbor 
near the mouth of the Natashquan River. He says: “We shot a 
new species of Finch, which I have named F ring ilia lincolnii ; it is 
allied to the Swamp Sparrow in general appearance, but is consider¬ 
ably smaller, and may be known at once from all others thus far 
described, by the light buff streak which runs from the base of the 
lower mandibles, until it melts into the duller buff of the breast, and 
by the bright ash-streak over the eve. The note of this bird attracted 
me at once; it was loud and sonorous; the bird flew low and forward, 
perching on the firs, very shy, and cunningly eluding our pursuit; 
we, however, shot three, but lost one. I shall draw it to-morrow.” 
He named the bird after one of his party, Thomas Lincoln, of Dennis- 
ville, Maine. 
Bigelow says the Lincoln’s Sparrow is common as far north as 
Hamilton Inlet on the wooded parts of the coast. Turner, however, 
found it as far north as Fort Chimo where he states it is rare. He 
obtained a male there on June 10, 1883. This is the only record we 
have for the north of Hamilton Inlet. The bird does not seem to be 
found in the interior. Dr. John Macoun writes us, under date of 
March 16, 1906, that it is not found at Lake Mistassini, and that he 
has no record of its occurrence in the interior of northern (Labrador) 
Quebec. 
We found Lincoln’s Sparrow only at Mary Harbor on July 12th 
where we saw four; and at Cape Charles where on the 28th, 29th, 
and 30th of July we saw 4, 10, and 4, respectively. We had previously 
found it common at Bay of Islands, Newfoundland. It was every¬ 
where very retiring, skulking among the thick growths of evergreens 
and only a few times did we hear it sing in Labrador. It sang as late 
at the 29th and 30th of July. In singing it keeps concealed so that 
it is very difficult to see the performer. The song that we heard was 
a wild, hurried warble, somewhat like that of the Purple Finch but 
quicker, ending at times with a fainter trill suggestive of a House 
Wren. Its call note was a sharp chip and it also occasionally emitted 
a smack, probably an alarm note. 
