293 Fl N ( ' I l ICS. SPA KROWS, ETC. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Alva-l. ot'eoarse grasses and reed stalks. lined with grasses. on the ground. 
     
     [rm/s. three to tour, white or bluish white. elouded or finely speckled with 
     
     Clllllklllltlll-lll't)\\'ll. espeeially at the larger end. ‘50 x ‘63. 
     
    

    
     Like most marsh-loving,r birds, Seaside Sparrows are so consistent 
     
     in their ehoiee of a home that. it would be quite useless to look for 
     
     them anywhere but in a marsh. and that a salt one, generally within 
     
     sound 01' at least sight of the sea. The baymen call them “ Meadow 
     
     Chippies." and often when Snipe and Plover shooting I have. drawn 
     
     numbers to me, by simply agile/(thing. They tipped all the reeds about 
     
     my blind. chirping exeitedly at the peculiar sound which aroused 
     
     their curiosity. They pass mueh of their time on the ground among 
     
     the reeds and grasses, but mount a stalk to sing their short, unattract- 
     
     ive song of four or five notes. Sometimes they flutter into the air a 
     
     few feet above the reeds and deliver their song while on the wing. 
     
    

    
     The abseuee of distinct streaks on the breast and lack of rufous 
     
     in their olivaeeous or gr 'sh plumage will distinguish them from the 
     
     Sharp-tailed. Swamp. Savanna, or Song Sparrows, the only ones which 
     
     are likely to be found in their haunts. 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     5503.. A. m. peninsula Allen. Seo‘r'r‘s SEASIIWZ SPARROW.—Sinlllflr 
     
     to the preceding, but niueh darker; prevailing color of" the upper parts brown— 
     
     ish blaek. the feathers lnargined with grayish oli\'e~y_rreeu; under parts more 
     
     heavily streaked. the breast and sides streaked with black or blackish. \V., 
     
     2-30; T.. 2-0:); 1%.. -3-3. 
     
    

    
     ft’llflf/(‘.-—.\lltll1tl€ eoast from northern Florida to South Carolina; Gulf 
     
     coast from Florida to Texas. 
     
    
   
   
    
     A common southern representative of the Seaside Sparrow. 
     
    
   
   
    
     551. Ammodramus nigrescens Ii’z'r/gw. llrsxv SEASIDE SPARROW. 
     
     xii—Upper parts Mar/s. narrowlv inareined with grayish and grayish olive— 
     
     green; under parts slur/My str iked with black and white in about equal 
     
     proportions. “J... 5'95: \\'.. 2'257‘3‘40: T.. 21042-50: Bu ‘50—'60" (Ritlgwn). 
     
    

    
     lt’t"!llll)‘d‘-\‘.A--'l‘lll8 spet-ies is very distinet. and ean b . at. once distinguished 
     
     from A. 711.]wninsv1/u. its nearest known ally. by its mueh darker upper parts 
     
    
   
   
    
         
     
    
   
   
    
     and eonspieuously streaked under parts. 
     
    

    
     li'rIn/m.—Marshes at the northern end of Indian River. Florida. 
     
    

    
     Al's! and (‘f/II/N unknown. 
     
    

    
     Mr. (‘. J. Maynard. the only eolleetor who has ever met with this 
     
     species. found a single individual, Mareh 17. 1872. at Salt Lake. near 
     
     'J‘itusville. while in April it was "quite common on the marshes of 
     
     Indian River just. below llunnnett's Grove." and “ very abundant. on 
     
     the upper end of Merritt‘s island.” I have searched for it most care- 
     
     fully. but without sueeess. during: February and Mareli in the marshes 
     
     of the east peninsula of Indian River opposite Mieeo. and for a species 
     
     which is not rare, the Dusky Seaside Sparrow apparently has a more