Books About American Sparrows

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American Sparrows

Family Emberizidae

The American sparrows are part of the Emberizidae family which also includes buntings, juncos, towhees and brush-finches. The family includes approximately 165 species.

American sparrow are not closely related to the true or old world sparrows. However some old world sparrows have been introduced into the Americas. For books about old world sparrows see:

- old world sparrows


Snowbird: Integrative Biology and Evolutionary Diversity in the Junco Editor: Ellen D. Ketterson, Jonathan W. Atwell University of Chicago Press 2016 "While common and widespread, juncos also exhibit extraordinary diversity in color, shape, size, and behavior across their range, making them ideal study subjects for biologists interested in ecology and evolutionary diversification. Intended for scholars, citizen scientists, and amateur ornithologists, alike, Snowbird synthesizes decades of research from the diverse and talented researchers who study the Junco genus. Though contributors approach their subject from a variety of perspectives, they share a common goal: elucidating the organismal and evolutionary processes by which animals adapt and diversify in response to environmental change. Placing special emphasis on the important role that underlying physiological, hormonal, and behavioral mechanisms play in these processes, Snowbird not only provides a definitive exploration of the junco’s evolutionary history and behavioral and physiological diversity but also underscores the junco’s continued importance as a model organism in a time of rapid global climate change. By merging often disparate biological fields, Snowbird offers biologists across disciplines an integrative framework for further research into adaptation, population divergence, and the formation of new species."	Buy from amazon.co.uk

Buntings and Sparrows: A Guide to the Buntings and North American Sparrows Urban Olsson and Jon Curson Illustrations: Clive Byers Christopher Helm 2013 This is a reprint of the 1999 edition published by Pica "This book is the first comprehensive guide to all the Old World buntings and North American sparrows. It includes 39 plates in full colour depicting all the species and distinct races. In the systematic section each species account is divided into sections: the identification section summarises important field marks; the description section details plumage and bare part characteristics for all ages and sexes; geographical variation covers taxonomy, and other sections give detailed measurements, descriptions of moult and ageing, habits, voice, status and habitat, distribution and movements, and references. A range map is included for each species. This beautifully presented book will for many years to come help solve the identification problems posed by a delightful and sought-after family of birds."	Buy from amazon.co.uk

Return to Warden's Grove: Science, Desire, and the Lives of Sparrows Christopher Norment University of Iowa Press 2008 "Based on three seasons of field research in the Canadian Arctic, Christopher Norment's exquisitely crafted meditation on science and nature, wildness and civilization, is marked by bottomless prose, reflection on timeless questions, and keen observations of the world and our place in it. In an era increasingly marked by cutting-edge research at the cellular and molecular level, what is the role for scientists of sympathetic observation? What can patient waiting tell us about ourselves and our place in the world? His family at home in the American Midwest, Norment spends months on end living in isolation in the Northwest Territories, studying the ecology of the Harris' Sparrow. Although the fourteenth-century German mystic Meister Eckhardt wrote, "God is at home, we are in the far country," Norment argues that an intellectual, emotional, and spiritual "far country" can be found in the lives of animals and arctic wilderness. For Norment, "doing science" can lead to an enriched aesthetic and emotional connection to something beyond the self and a way to develop a sacred sense of place in a world that feels increasingly less welcoming, certain, and familiar."	Buy from amazon.co.uk

Festschrift for Ned K. Johnson: Geographic Variation and Evolution in Birds Editor: Carla Cicero and JV Remsen Ornithological Monographs 63 American Ornithologists' Union 2007 Contents: A Tribute to the Career of Ned K. Johnson: Enduring Standards through Changing Times Molecular Advances in the Study of Geographic Variation and Speciation in Birds Vainly Beating the Air: Species-Concept Debates Need Not Impede Progress in Science or Conservation Named Subspecies and Their Significance in Contemporary Ornithology Distributional Dynamics of Invasion and Hybridization by Strix spp. in Western North America Divergence between Subspecies Groups of Swainson's Thrush (Catharus ustulatus ustulatus and C. U. swainsoni) Narrow Contact of Desert Sage Sparrows (Amphispiza belli nevadensis and A. B. canescens) in Owens Valley, Eastern California: Evidence from Mitochondrial DNA, Morphology, and GIS-Based Niche Models Statistical Assessment of Congruence among Phylogeographic Histories of Three Avian Species in the California Floristic Province The "Walking Eagle" Wetmoregyps Daggetti Miller: A Scaled-up Version of the Savanna Hawk (Buteogallus meridionalis)	Buy from amazon.co.uk

Conservation and Biology of Small Populations: The Song Sparrows of Mandarte Island James N.M. Smith, Lukas F. Keller, Amy B. Marr & Peter Arcese Oxford University Press 2006 "This book explores the factors affecting the survival of small populations. As the human impact on Earth expands, populations of many wild species are being squeezed into smaller and smaller habitats. As a consequence, they face an increasing threat of extinction. National and international conservation groups rush to add these populations, species and sub-species to their existing endangered and threatened lists. In nations with strong conservation laws, listing often triggers elaborate plans to rescue declining populations and restore their habitats. The authors review these theoretical ideas, the existing data, and explore the question: how well do small and isolated populations actually perform. Their case study group is the song sparrows of Mandarte Island, British Columbia. This population is small enough and isolated enough so that all individuals can be uniquely marked and their survival and reproduction monitored over many generations. This is one of the strongest long-term ecological studies of a contained vertebrate population, now in its 31st year."	Buy from amazon.co.uk

Sparrows and Finches of the Great Lakes Region and Eastern North America Chris G. Earley Firefly Books 2003 "The Great Lakes region and Eastern North America is home to 48 species of sparrows and finches. This guide illustrates the subtle differences and rich diversity among these tiny birds. With crisp, clear photographs and precise identification notes, this book makes quick, accurate classification possible. The information is concisely organised and includes common and biological nomenclature, male/female differences, seasonal plumage changes and distinctive markings, song descriptions and behavioural habits."	Buy from amazon.co.uk

Sparrows of the United States and Canada: The Photographic Guide David Beadle & James Rising Poyser 2002 "This companion volume to the previous "Guide to the Identification and Natural History of the Sparrows of the United States and Canada" takes sparrow identification one step further. The authors have gathered a selection of over 350 photographs as a basis for the identification of all 64 taxa of emberizine sparrows found in the region. The supporting text gives detailed information on the identification of species, sexes, ages, races, and forms of all the sparrows, towhees, juncos, buntings and longspurs, grassquits and seedeaters, as well as information on their distribution, habits, habitats, molt, and voice. Particular attention is paid to the geographic variation found in many species and to comparisons with similar and confusing species. The conservation status of those that are threatened is also given due attention. The photographs have been chosen specifically to illustrate the identification pointers described in the text. Each is captioned with full details of the photographer and the place and time at which the photo was taken."	Buy from amazon.co.uk

The Mountain White-Crowned Sparrow: Migration and Reproduction at High Altitude Martin L. Morton Studies In Avian Biology 24 Cooper Ornithological Society 2002 The contents are as follows. Abstract Preface Chapter 1: Introduction The zonotrichia Features of montane environments The study area Chapter 2: Migration arrival Arrival schedule Altitudinal movements Foraging Chapter 3: Social system snd behavior Territory establishment Pairing Between-year breeding dispersal Copulations Mate guarding Mate switching Mates per lifetime Age of mates Floaters Polygyny Aggression Vocalizations Chapter 4: Demography Life table Age structure of breeding population Chapter 5: Gonadal condition Gonadal changes Incubation (brood) patch Role of environmental cues in annual cycles Photoperiod effects Non-photoperiod effects Gonadal hormones Chapter 6: Body size and body condition Wing length and sex Wing length and age Seasonal changes in body mass Daily changes in body mass Chapter 7: Nests and eggs Nests Egg laying Description of eggs Egg dimensions Egg volume Weight loss of eggs during incubation Clutch size Incubation Chapter 8: Nestlings and fledglings Hatching Brood reduction Hatching asynchrony Sex ratio Cowbird parasitism Provisioning rates Nest sanitation Patterns of parental care Growth and thermoregulation in nestlings Natal dispersal Chapter 9: Nest failure Predation Desertion Storms Renesting Chapter 10: Reproductive success Annual reproductive success of nests Annual reproductive success of individuals Lifetime reproductive success Snow conditions Chapter 11: Late-season events Gonadal photorefractoriness Molt Timing of seasonal breeding Premigratory fattening Migration departure The stimulus for migration Stopover migrants and the migration schedule Chapter 12: Concluding remarks Acknowledgments Literature Cited	Buy from amazon.co.uk

Geographic Variation in Size and Shape of Savannah Sparrows (Passerculus sandwichensis) James D. Rising Studies In Avian Biology 23 Cooper Ornithological Society 2001 The contents are as follows. Abstract Introduction Materials and methods Results Non-saltmarsh savannah sparrows Univariate analyses of size Principal components analysis Discriminant functions analysis Correlations between environmental variables and size Canonical correlations and redundancy analysis Saltmarsh savannah sparrows Males Females Discussion Conclusions Taxonomic comments Eastern savannah sparrows Western savannah sparrows Saltmarsh savannah sparrows Acknowledgments Literature cited Appendix 1-measurements and sample statistics for males Appendix 2-measurements and sample statistics for females

Sparrows of the United States and Canada: The Photographic Guide David Beadle & James Rising Princeton 2001 "This companion volume to the previous, widely acclaimed Guide to the Identification and Natural History of the Sparrows of the United States and Canada takes sparrow identification one step further. The authors have gathered a stunning selection of over 350 photographs as a basis for the identification of all 64 taxa of emberizine sparrows found in the region. Never before has such a comprehensive collection of sparrow photos been presented together in a single guide. The supporting text gives detailed information on the identification of species, sexes, ages, races, and forms of all the sparrows, towhees, juncos, buntings and longspurs, grassquits and seedeaters, as well as information on their distribution, habits, habitats, molt, and voice. Particular attention is paid to the geographic variation found in many species and to comparisons with similar and confusing species. The conservation status of those that are threatened is also given due attention. The photographs include contributions from many of America's finest bird photographers, and many were taken especially for this book. All fine portraits in themselves, they have been chosen specifically to illustrate the identification pointers described in the text. Each is captioned with full details of the photographer and the place and time at which the photo was taken. Also included are line drawings of identification details such as wing and tail feathers and beaks, as well as distribution maps."	Buy from amazon.co.uk

Sparrows & Finches of Ontario Chris G. Earley Point Pelee National Park Nature Series Friends of Point Pelee / Lithosphere Press 2001 "An essential part of every birders kit, this book is printed on fine paper so that it can easily slip into a shirt pocket. Appendices include fold outs with side by side comparisons of birds by season. Written by Chris Earley with hundreds of photos by various photographers, including Jim Flynn."

Avian Research at the Savannah River Site: A Model for Integrating Basic Research and Long-Term Management Editors: J. B. Dunning, Jr. and J. C. Kilgo Studies In Avian Biology 21 Cooper Ornithological Society 2000 The contents are as follows. Integrating basic research and long-term management: a case study using avian research at the Savannah River Site - John B. Dunning, Jr., and John C. Kilgo The Savannah River Site: site description, land use, and management history - David L. White and Karen F. Gaines Early avian research at the Savannah River Site: historical highlights and possibilities for the future - J. Michael Meyers and Eugene P. Odum Historical winter status of three upland Ammodramus sparrows in South Carolina - Douglas B. McNair and William Post Integration of research with long-term monitoring: breeding Wood Ducks on the Savannah River Site - Robert A. Kennamer and Gary R. Hepp Mitigation for the endangered Wood Stork on the Savannah River Site - A. L. Bryan, Jr., M. C. Couler, and I. L. Brisbin, Jr. Long-term studies of radionuclide contamination of migratory waterfowl at the Savannah River Site: implications for habitat management and nuclear waste site remediation - I. Lehr Brisbin, Jr., and Robert A. Kennamer Integration of long-term research into a GIS-based landscape habitat model for the Red-cockaded Woodpecker - Kathleen E. Franzreb and F. Thomas Lloyd Studying wildlife at local and landscape scales: Bachman's Sparrows at the Savannah River Site - John B. Dunning, Jr., Brent J. Danielson, Bryan D. Watts, Jianguo Liu, and David G. Krementz Effects of long-term forest management on a regional avifauna - John C. Kilgo, Kathleen E. Franzreb, Sidney A. Gauthreaux, Jr., Karl V. Miller, and Brian R. Chapman Fifty years of ornithological coverage at SRS: what species and groups have fallen through the cracks? - D. Archibald McCallum, Sherry Leatherman, and John J. Mayer People and decisions: meeting the information needs of managers - John Blake and Elizabeth LeMaster Designing and presenting avian research to facilitate integration with management - Christopher E. Moorman Integrating long-term avian studies with planning and adaptive management: Department of Energy lands as a case study - Joanna Burger An approach to quantifying long-term habitat change on managed forest lands - Paul B. Hamel and John B. Dunning, Jr. Rising importance of the landscape perspective: an area of collaboration between managers and researchers - Brian K. Pilcher and John B. Dunning, Jr. The mesopredator release hypothesis: integrating landbird management with ecological theory - Christopher M. Rogers and Stephen B. Heard Coordinating short-term projects into an effective research program: effects of site preparation methods on bird communities in pine plantations - John C. Kilgo, Karl V. Miller, and William F. Moore Avian studies at the Savannah River Site - Eugene P. Odum Literature cited

Ecology and Conservation of Grassland Birds of the Western Hemisphere Editors: Peter D. Vickery and James R. Herkert Studies in Avian Biology No 19 Cooper Ornithological Society 1999 Contents; Preface - Peter D. Vickery and James R. Herkert Conservation of grassland birds in the Western Hemisphere - Peter D. Vickery, Pablo L. Tubaro, José Maria Cardosa da Silva, Bruce G. Peterjohn, James R. Herkert, and Roberto B. Cavalcanti Population status of North American grassland birds from the North American Breeding Bird Survey, 1966-1996 - Bruce G. Peterjohn and John R. Sauer Linking continental climate, land use, and land patterns with grassland bird distribution across the conterminous United States - Raymond J. O'Connor, Malcolm T. Jones, Randall B. Boone, and T Bruce Lauber History of grassland birds in eastern North America - Robert A. Askins Grassland bird conservation in northeastern North America - Jeffrey V. Wells and Kenneth V. Rosenberg Use of cultivated fields by breeding Mountain Plovers in Colorado - Fritz L. Knopf and Jeffery R. Rupert Changes in bird populations on Canadian grasslands - C. Stuart Houston and Josef K. Schmutz Multiscale habitat associations of the Sage Sparrow: implications for conservation biology - John T. Rotenberry and Steven T. Knick Spatial distribution of breeding passerine bird habitats in a shrubsteppe region of southwestern Idaho - Steven T Knick and John T Rotenberry - Habitat Selection Habitat relations and breeding biology of grassland birds in New York - Christopher J. Norment, Charles D. Ardizzone, and Kathleen Hartman Experimental analysis of nest predation in a New York grassland: effects of habitat and nest distribution - Charles D. Ardizzone and Christopher J. Norment Satellite burrow use by Burrowing Owl chicks and its influence on nest fate - Martha J. Desmond and Julie A. Savidge Songbird abundance in grasslands at a suburban interface on the Colorado High Plains - Carl E. Bock, Jane H. Bock, and Barry C. Bennett Thermal aspects of nest-site location for Vesper Sparrows and Horned Larks in British Columbia - Kari J. Nelson and Kathy Martin - Fire The effects of summer burns on breeding Florida Grasshopper and Bachman s sparrows - W. Gregory Shriver, Peter D. Vickery, and Dustin W. Perkins Effects of fire and herbicide treatment on habitat selection in grassland birds in southern Maine - Peter D. Vickery, Malcolm L. Hunter, Jr., and Jeffrey V. Wells Henslow's Sparrow response to prescribed fire in an Illinois prairie remnant - James R. Herkert and William D. Glass Effects of prescribed burning and grazing on nesting and reproductive success of three grassland passerine species in tallgrass prairie - Ronald W Rohrbaugh, Jr., Dan L. Reinking, Donald H. Wolfe, Steve K. Sherrod, and M. Alan Jenkins Relationship of fire history to territory size, breeding density, and habitat of Baird's Sparrow in North Dakota - Maiken Winter - Conservation Reserve Program Le Conte's Sparrows breeding in Conservation Reserve Program fields: precipitation and patterns of population change - Lawrence D. Igl and Douglas H. Johnson Density and fledging success of grassland birds in Conservation Reserve Program fields in North Dakota and west-central Minnesota - Rolf R. Koford - Management Nesting birds and grazing cattle: accommodating both on Midwestern pastures - Stanley A. Temple, Brick M. Fevold, Laura K. Paine, Daniel J. Undersander, and David W Sample Bird populations of seeded grasslands in the Aspen Parkland of Alberta - David R. C. Prescott and Andrew J. Murphy Grassland songbird occurrence in native and crested wheatgrass pastures of southern Saskatchewan - Stephen K. Davis and David C. Duncan - Data Collection and Analysis Monitoring grassland birds in nocturnal migration - William R. Evans and David K. Mellinger Design and duration of perturbation experiments: implications for data interpretation - Kenneth L. Petersen and Louis B. Best Sampling considerations for estimating density of passerines in grasslands - Jay J. Rotella, Elizabeth M. Madden, and Andrew J. Hansen Bird species richness and conservation in the Cerrado region of central Brazil - Roberto B. Cavalcanti The decline of the Pampas Meadowlark: difficulties of applying the IUCN criteria to neotropical grassland birds - Pablo Luis Tubaro and Fabián Marcelo Gabelli A preliminary assessment of distributions and conservation needs of grassland birds in Mexico - A. Townsend Peterson and Mark B. Robbins Grassland birds in prairie-dog towns in northwestern Chihuahua, Mexico - Patricia Manzano-Fischer, Rurik List, and Gerardo Ceballos Seasonal movements and conservation of seedeaters of the genus Sporophila in South America - José Maria Cardosa da Silva Demographic characteristics of Dickcissels in winter - Gianfranco D. Basili and Stanley A. Temple Winter ecology, behavior, and conservation needs of Dickcissels in Venezuela - Gianfranco D. Basili and Stanley A. Temple	Buy from amazon.co.uk

A Guide to the Identification and Natural History of the Sparrows of the United States and Canada Editor: James D. Rising Illustrations: David Beadle Poyser 1996 "Provides comprehensive and up-to-date information on all the features that make possible identification of all 62 species of sparrows that occur in North America. The text gives detailed descriptions of the summer, winter, and juvenile plumages of each species, as well as comparisons with similar species. The species accounts are illustrated with range maps and superb line drawings showing behavioral postures and, where useful, fine features of tail feather patterns. The 27 color plates splendidly illustrate the various plumages of each species with the emphasis on the distinctive appearance of birds of different sex, age, and geographic regions. This beautiful and authoritative book will be a must for the library of all keen birders living in and visiting North America. Species accounts include discussions of species: Identification Measurements Voice Habitat Ecology Nesting biology Distribution Taxonomy Geographic variations Historical and present status."	Buy from amazon.co.uk

Buntings and Sparrows: A Guide to the Buntings and North American Sparrows Urban Olsson and Jon Curson Illustrations: Clive Byers Pica Press 1995 This guide covers all the buntings (Palearctic) and sparrows (Nearctic) of the Holarctic region. The 118 species are members of the sub-family emberizinae, and are represented in nearly every habitat in the region. They also present considerable identification problems.	Buy from amazon.co.uk

Patterns and Evolutionary Significance of Geographic Variation in the Schistacea Group of the Fox Sparrow Robert M. Zink Ornithological Monographs 40 American Ornithologists' Union 1986 A 119 page study.	Buy from amazon.co.uk

Ecogeographical Variation In Size And Proportions Of Song Sparrows (Melospiza melodia) John W. Aldrich Ornithological Monographs 35 American Ornithologists' Union 1984 A 134 page study. Contents: Introduction Methods Wing Measurements Bill Measurements Tarsus Measurements Tail Measurements Middle To Length General Discussion Of Ecogeographical Variation Summary	Buy from amazon.co.uk

Research Is a Passion with Me: The Autobiography of a Bird Lover Margaret Morse Nice Natural Heritage Books 1979? "In her incredibly productive lifetime (1883-1974), American-born ornithologist Margaret Morse Nice earned the admiration of ornithologists and naturalists in far distant lands. "Research Is a Passion with Me" is an enthralling autobiography of one of the great individuals in her field and of her time. A veteran traveller with an aptitude for languages, Margaret Nice, researcher-scientist-author, amassed considerable knowledge of many of the birds of the world. Significantly, her most important paper was published in Germany, far from her birthplace of Amherst, Massachusetts. The paper dealing with the Song Sparrow appeared in two parts in the Journal fur Ornithologie. Through the years, Dr Nice, a Past President of the Wilson Ornithological Society, and a Life Fellow of the American Ornithologist's Union, was elected to Honorary Memberships in the ornithological societies of most of the countries she visited. These included Britain, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy and the Netherlands. She was a much-admired corresponding member of the Hungarian Institute of Ornithology. In Toronto, Canada, The Margaret Nice Ornithological Club was formed in her honour. Though widely known as 'The Song Sparrow Lady', she was more than the ultimate authority on the Song Sparrow and probably the most famous woman ornithologist in the world."	Buy from amazon.co.uk

The White-Crowned Sparrows (Zonotrichia Leucophrys) of the Pacific Seaboard: Environment and Annual Cycle Barbara D Blanchard Publications in Zoology, Volume 46, Number 1 University of California Press 1941 A 178 page study with plates and illustrations.	Buy from amazon.co.uk

The Life History of Henslow's Sparrow, Passerherbulus Henslowi (Audubon) A. Sydney Hyde Museum of Zoology. Miscellaneous Publications No. 41 University of Michigan 1939

Baird's Sparrow B.W. Cartwright, R.D. Harris, T.M. Shortt Contributions No. 11 Royal Ontario Museum of Zoology 1937 Introduction: "The discovery of a small breeding colony of Baird's sparrows {Ammodramus hairdi [Aud. ]) two miles north of Deer Lodge, a suburb of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, in August, 1928, gave the authors an opportunity to plan a life history study. This was duly carried out during the summers of 1929, 1930 and 1931. As the breeding habits of this species were heretofore practically unknown, it was thought advisable to extend the study to embrace in one publication as comprehensive a treatment as a search of the literature and correspondence with active ornithologists would allow. This has been done.

The Relation of Sparrows to Agriculture Sylvester D. Judd Illustrations: J.L. Ridgway and others Division Of Biological Survey Bulletin No. 15 US Department of Agriculture Government Printing Office 1901 From the introduction: Sparrows are well known, and have figured frequently in ornithological literature, but the position they occupy in relation to agriculture has heretofore received only casual consideration. It is evident that a group of birds so abundant, so widely distributed, and in such constant association with farms and gardens must play an important part in rural economy, and that a thorough investigation of their food habits should be useful. The results of such an investigation are embodied in the present paper and amply demonstrate the value of these birds to the agriculturist - a value greater than that of any other group of birds whose economic status has thus far been investigated. The native sparrows contrast markedly in this respect with the introduced English sparrow, the pernicious habits of which have formed the subject of a special report, and are briefly treated in this bulletin for purposes of comparison (see p. 92). This naturalized sparrow is a pest wherever it is found, while the native sparrows are well worthy of protection and encouragement.

Handbook Of The Sparrows, Finches, etc., Of New England C.J. Maynard 1896 From the introduction: "My reason for writing a book upon birds with such a limited scope as the present, is because 1 am sure, from a somewhat extended experience, that it is better for those beginning the study of ornithology to first become thoroughly acquainted w4th some one group of birds, than to acquire a smattering knowledge of many. I have therefore selected the largest and in some ways the most important family of our New England birds, partly, because it is the most extended, but more particularly, because there is no season of the year, when some members of it are not to be found with us. In my walks in the fields and woods with my many pupils, I have found that some experience great difficulty m learning to distinguish birds, either by sight or by hearing their songs. This difficulty, it appears to me, is really due to the fact that the observer is trying to grasp an entirely new, and too vast a subject without a sufficient training of eye and ear. This being undoubtedly the case with so many, it appears best to begin with a group of birds, most of which are of a sufficient size to be readily seen and which not only have prominent, characteristic markings, but which also have songs which are readily distinguishable."

The Ipswich Sparrow (Ammodramus princeps Maynard) and Its Summer Home Jonathan Dwight, Jr Nuttall Ornithological Club Memoirs 2 1895 Opening line: "Discovered among the sand-hills of Ipswich, Massachusetts, by Mr. C. J. Maynard, and the single specimen obtained by him December 4, 1868, wrongly identified as Baird's Sparrow of the far West by no less eminent an authority than Professor S. F. Baird, the Ipswich Sparrow, for a long time after it was recognized as a new species, enjoyed a reputation for rarity which later observations have not sustained. Gradually the few energetic collectors who have cared to face the wintry winds that sweep the desolate stretches of low sand-hills fringing so much of our Atlantic coast, have proved the bird to be a regular migrant or winter visitor, found more or less abundantly from Maine to Georgia. For nearly sixteen years after its discovery there was no clue to its breeding haunts until, in 1884, a single summer specimen was obtained from Sable Island, Nova Scotia. Until ten years later no successful effort was made to solve the mystery shrouding the summer home of a shy and silent species that disappeared from our shores with the earliest breath of spring, not to return again before the frosts of autumn had browned the waving clumps of coarse grass where it makes its winter home. It was in the hope of reading some of the unturned pages of the life-history of this interesting Sparrow that I visited Sable Island during the summer of 1894. A long personal acquaintance with the bird, added to my recent observations, enables me to present a comprehensive account of a species which, a New England discovery itself, annually imitates the Pilgrim Fathers in landing on New England's shores; and I am confident my brother ornithologists, of that part of the country at least, will feel a particular interest in the new facts I am able to present regarding a species so peculiarly their own."

Note on the South-American Song-Sparrows P.L. Sclater Colour plate (Zonotrichia canicapilla and Zonotrichia strigiceps): J.G. Keulemans Ibis: Volume 19, Issue 1, pages 46-48 1877 Opening lines: "It is a singular fact that, while Zonotrichiapileata is generally diffused over Central and South America, and is in many places a most abundant species, the only other two membcrs of the same genus that occur within the neotropical region are confined to La Plata and Patagonia. So little known, moreover, are the latter, that, with a tolerably extensive acquaintance with South-American birds, I have never met with but one or two specimens of either of them, whereas the former is one of the very commonest species in collections."