62 MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN. 



them too low down for the House Sparrow, but inaccessible 

 to cats, boys, coons and other inveterate nest robbers. 



CHIPPING SPARROW. Spizclla socialis. 



Before the introduction of the English House Sparrow a 

 Chippy was always a Chippy or Chipping Sparrow, that slender 

 graceful member of the Sparrow family, which made its nest 

 in the nearest vine, shrub or tree in the garden and came fear- 

 lessly to the house to pick up the crumbs. Nowadays when 

 we hear city people speak of a Chippy, we do not know whether 

 the real Chippy is meant or the English House Sparrow, most 

 probably the latter. Another name for it is Hairbird, be- 

 cause its pretty little nest is always lined with horse hair, 

 which gives it a neat, clean appearance; but call it by any 

 name it is always the same gentle creature that is well known 

 to most country people for its familiarity and self-complacency 

 in the rendition of its unpretending song. This is of no great 

 value judged from a musical standpoint, but it fills its place 

 well and makes up in quantity for any shortcoming in quality. 

 As the Chippy makes two broods in a season, its song period 

 is not confined to a few weeks in spring as is the case with 

 many other songsters, but performances are renewed in the 

 heat of summer, when its high-pitched ditty is often the only 

 thing heard. As it hves on insects and weed seeds and feeds 

 its young entirely on insects, doing only good and no harm, 

 its extended stay in the Garden from March to October is to 

 be encouraged, and confusion with the less welcome English 

 House Sparrow should be carefully avoided. Only two pairs 

 were found breeding in the summer of 1908, while there would 

 be room for ten times as many in the different parts of the 

 grounds. Wintering in our southern states and eager to return 

 to its breeding grounds as early as possible, it has some- 

 times to suffer by late wintry spells, and the present general 

 reduction in the number of Chippies can be traced to the ab- 

 normally cold spring of 1907. 



SONG SPARROW. Melospiza cinerea melodia. 

 For St. Louisans to hsten in the summer to the song of a 

 Song Sparrow is a rare treat. Up to the last few years no 



