. A popular handbook of the birds of the United States and Canada . r,it is probable that they principally winter in the Canadianprovinces, otherwise, as passengers farther south, they wouldbe seen more abundantly in the United States than they , as they approach this part of New England only insmall desultory parties in the winter, as in November andDecember, it is evident that they only migrate a short distancein quest of food, and return to the North at the approach offine weather. While here they appear silent and solitary, andare not difficult to approach. Their food, as usual,
. A popular handbook of the birds of the United States and Canada . r,it is probable that they principally winter in the Canadianprovinces, otherwise, as passengers farther south, they wouldbe seen more abundantly in the United States than they , as they approach this part of New England only insmall desultory parties in the winter, as in November andDecember, it is evident that they only migrate a short distancein quest of food, and return to the North at the approach offine weather. While here they appear silent and solitary, andare not difficult to approach. Their food, as usual, is seeds ofgrasses, insects, and their lan^ae. This species is not so rare in our day as Nuttall evidently con-sidered it, for it now occurs quite regularly throughout this EasternProvince, though likely to appear in irregular numbers at any givenlocality. It breeds in northern Maine and New Brunswick, andnorth to sub-arctic regions. Nests have been found also in Ver-mont and New York. The birds are met with in winter fromsouthern New England southward to LARK SPARROW. lark finch. Chondestes grammacus. Char. Above, grayish olive; the back brown, with fine streaks ofblack; tail black, — excepting central feathers, — tipped with white, outerweb of outer pair entirely white ; crown chestnut, with median line ofdull white; line over the eye dull white ; white crescent under the eyesbordered by black, and behind by chestnut; below white tinged withbrown ; breast with patch of black. Length 6 to 6%, inches. Mest. Usually amid a tuft of grass, but sometimes in a tree or bush;composed of grass and vegetable fibre. ^?S^- 3-5 (usually 4); white or with blue or buff tint, marked withspots and lines of dark brown or black ; X For this species we are again indebted to Mr. Say, who ob-served it in abundance near the Council Bluffs and the neigh-boring country of the Missouri in the spring, as well as in themonth of June. It appears to be wholly confined to the westsid
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Keywords: ., bo, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectbirdsnorthamerica