. A popular handbook of the ornithology of eastern North America . their turn,possess uncommon cunning and agility, running and concealingthemselves in the sedge of the wet meadows. They are quiteas difficult to catch as field-mice, and seldom on these emer-gencies attempt to take wing. We have observed one of thesesagacious birds dart from one tussock to another, and at lastdive into the grassy tuft in such a manner, or elude the graspso well, as seemingly to disappear or burrow into the robust legs and feet, as well as long claws, seem pur-posely provided to accelerate this cling
. A popular handbook of the ornithology of eastern North America . their turn,possess uncommon cunning and agility, running and concealingthemselves in the sedge of the wet meadows. They are quiteas difficult to catch as field-mice, and seldom on these emer-gencies attempt to take wing. We have observed one of thesesagacious birds dart from one tussock to another, and at lastdive into the grassy tuft in such a manner, or elude the graspso well, as seemingly to disappear or burrow into the robust legs and feet, as well as long claws, seem pur-posely provided to accelerate this clinging and running on theuneven ground. This species is a common summer resident throughout the settledportions of eastern Canada, and abundant on the St. Clair Flatsand in Manitoba. It is common at that season in New Englandalso, and breeds south to Pennsylvania. A few spend each winterin some marshes near Boston, and the iiocks winter from that lati-tude to the Gulf. Mr. Chapman tells us that in the South they frequently belietheir name and resort to dry SHARP-TAILED SPARROW. shore finch. \mus caudacutus. Char. Above, brownish gray tinged with olive; crown darker, withmedian stripe of ashy gray and two stripes of black; back streaked withblack; stripes of buff above and below eyes meeting behind ear-coverts;wings edged with yellow; tail-feathers narrow, with acutely pointed tips;below, dull white, breast and sides tinged with buff and streaked withblack. Length about ^}{ inches. A^esi. In a salt-marsh or wet meadow, amid a cluster of reeds or tuftof sedges, to the stems of which it is sometimes fastened; a somewhatbulky structure of grass and weed-stems, lined with fine grass. £g;^s. 4-5; dull white or tinged with buff or green, thickly spottedwith brown and lilac; X The Shore Finch is an inhabitant of the low islands andmarshy sea-coasts from Massachusetts to Texas, living onsmall shrimps, marine insects, and probably grass seeds, mov-ing through th
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Keywords: ., bo, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectbirdsnorthamerica
