Range.--Pacific coast marshes of southern California and southward. This species is similar to the last but darker and more heavily streaked below. They breed abundantly in salt marshes, building their nests in the grass or patches of seaweed barely above the water, and making them of grass and weeds, lined with hair; the eggs are dull grayish white, boldly splashed, spotted and clouded with brown and lavender. Size .78 × .55. [Illustration 339: Grayish White.] [Illustration: Savannah Sparrow.] [Illustration: Grayish white.] [Illustration: Grayish white.] [Illustration: 542b--543.] [Illustration: right hand margin.] Page 338 544. LARGE-BILLED SPARROW. _Passerculus rostratus rostratus._ Range.--Coast of southern and Lower California. Similar to the Savannah Sparrow but paler and grayer, without yellow lores and a larger and stouter bill. They are common in salt marshes, often in company with the last species and their nesting habits are similar to and the eggs not distinguished with certainty from those of the latter. 544a. SAN LUCAS SPARROW. _Passerculus rostratus guttatus._ Range.--Southern Lower California. A slightly darker form of the preceding, having identical habits, and probably, eggs. 544c. SAN BENITO SPARROW. _Passerculus rostratus sanctorum._ Range.--Breeds on San Benito Islands; winters in southern Lower California. The nesting habits and eggs of these very similar subspecies are identical. 545. BAIRD'S SPARROW. _Ammodramus bairdi_. Range.--Plains, breeding from northern United States to the Saskatchewan; south in winter to the Mexican border. These Sparrows breed abundantly on the plains of Dakota and northward, placing their nest in hollows on the ground in fields and along road sides. During June or July, they lay three to five dull whitish eggs, blotched, splashed and spotted with light shades of brown and gray. Size .80 × .60. 546. GRASSHOPPER SPARROW. _Ammodramus savannarum australis._ Range.--United States east of the Plains, breeding from the Gulf to Canada. A stoutly built Sparrow marked on the upper parts peculiarly, like a quail; nape grayish and chestnut. These birds are common in dry fields and pastures, where their scarcely audible, grasshopper-like song is heard during the heat of the day. Their nests are sunken in the ground and arched over so that they are very difficult to find, especially as the bird will not flush until nearly trod upon. The four or five eggs, laid in June, are white, specked with reddish brown. Size .72 × .55. 546a. WESTERN GRASSHOPPER SPARROW. _Ammodramus savannarum bimaculatus_ Range.--West of the Plains from British Columbia to Mexico. Slightly paler than the last; has the same nesting habits; eggs indistinguishable. [Illustration 340: 544--544c.] [Illustration: White.] [Illustration: White.] [Illustration: Baird's Sparrow. Grasshopper Sparrow.] [Illustration: left hand margin.] Page 339 [Illustration 341: C. A. Reed. GRASSHOPPER SPARROW ON NEST.] Page 340