_Spiza americana. Case 7, Fig. 20_
The yellow on the breast and, in the male, black
crescent will distinguish this species from all
its Sparrow kin. L. 6.
_Range._ Chiefly prairies of the Mississippi
Valley, from Texas and Mississippi north to
Minnesota and southern Ontario; now rare east of
the Alleghanies.
Washington, formerly "very abundant," now seen
only occasionally, May-Aug. Cambridge, casual,
found nesting at Medford, June 9. 1877, where
several birds were observed; not uncommon in
1833-34 (see Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, III, 1878, 45.
190). N. Ohio, rare S.R., May 1. Glen Ellyn,
rather rare and local S.R., formerly common. May
3-Sept. 5. SE. Minn., common S.R., May 11-Aug. 20.
The Dickcissel is a bird of the fields who, from a weed-stalk or fence
by the wayside, sings his unmusical _dick-dick cissel, cissel, cissel_.
The nest is built on the ground or in a bush and the 4-5 pale blue eggs
are laid the latter half of May.