230
F I E L D SPARROW.
one summer, the amount of individuals produced being fifteen. The
young run after their parents, leaving the nest before they can fly, and
are left to shift for themselves ere they are fully fledged; but as they
find every where abundance of insects, berries, and small seeds, they contrive
to get on without help,
These birds are fond of orchards, enter our country towns in autumn,
alight on the tallest trees in opert woods, and migrate solely by day.
Their flight is rapid, even, and occasionally sustained; for, when fairly
alarmed, they move at once over fields of considerable extent.
I saw few in Maine, and none in the British provinces, in Labrador
or in Newfoundland.
The colour of the bill varies with the seasons, being in winter of a
dingy reddish-brown, and in summer assuming a tint approaching to
orange. There is no perceptible difference in the size or colour of the
sexes. The young acquire their full plumage the first autumn.
Travelling from Great Egg Harbour towards Philadelphia, I found
a nest of this species placed at the foot of a bush growing in almost pure
sand. Near it were the plants which you see accompanying the figure.
FRIXGILLA PUSILLA, Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 110.
FIELD SPARROW, FRINGILLA POSILLA, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 121. pi. 16.
fig. 2.
FIELD OR RUSH SPARROW, FBIXGILLA JUNCORUM, Nuttall, Manual, part i. p. 499.
Adult Male, Plate CXXXIX.
Bill short, rather small, strong, conical, acute; upper mandible rather
narrower than the lower, very slightly declinate at the tip, rounded on the
sides, as is the lower, which has the edges inflected and acute; the gapline
very slightly arched, slightly deflected at the base. Nostrils basal,
roundish, partially concealed by the feathers. The general form rather
robust. Legs of moderate length, slender; tarsus longer than the middle
toe, covered anteriorly with a few longish scutella ; toes scutellate above,
free, the lateral ones nearly equal; claws slender, slightly arched, that of
the hind toe scarcely larger, much compressed, acute.
Plumage soft, blended, rather compact on the back; wings shortish,
curved, rounded, the third quill longest, the second and fourth scarcely
shorter ; tail long, emarginate.
This species, in size and general appearance, is very closely allied to
the Chipping Sparrow (see p. 21. of the present volume.)
F I E L D S P A R R O W . 231
Bill reddish-brown or cinnamon-colour. Iris chestnut. Feet pale
yellowish-brown. Upper part of the head chestnut; anterior portion of
the back and scapulars of the same tint, but marked with blackish-brown
spots, the middle part of each feather being of that colour; sides of the
neck pale bluish-grey, and a line of the same over the eye ; rump and tail
yellowish-grey, the inner webs of the latter light-brown; quills and coverts
blackish-brown, margined with whitish, the two rows of coverts
slightly tipped with brownish-white ; the under parts are greyish-white;
the sides of the neck and fore part of the breast tinged with chestnut.
Length 6 inches, extent of wings 8 ; bill along the back along the
edge ft.
The Female is rather less, and somewhat duller beneath, but in other
respects is precisely similar.
CALOPOGON PULCHELLUS, Brown.—CYMBIDIUM PULCHELLUM, Wittd. Sp. PI. vol.
iv. p. 105. Pursh, Fh Amer. Sept. vol. ii. p. 592.—GYNANDRIA MONANDRIA,
Linn. ORCHIDE^E, JUSS.
Root tuberous, of an oblong form; radical leaves linear-lanceolate,
nerved ; scape few-flowered ; lip at the back clawed, the inside bearded ;
five distinct petals of a light purplish-red. It grows in sandy soils
from Maine to the Floridas ; I have not observed it in the more Southern
or Western States.
THE DWARF HUCKLE-BERRY.
VACCINIUM TENELLUM, Willd. Sp. PI. vol. ii. p. 353. Pursh, Flor. Amer. Sept.
vol. i. p. 289.—DECANDRIA MONOGYNIA, Linn. ERICJE, JUSS.
The branches angular, green ; leaves sessile, ovato-lanceolate, mucronate,
serrulate, glossy on both sides; flowers in sessile clusters; corolla
ovate. This plant grows in most of the lands of the Middle and Eastern
Districts, both in woods and in open places. Its berries are eaten by
various birds, as well as by children.