24b The Ottawa Naturalist. [March 



bulky, and is composed largely of straw and grass. The interior 

 is lined with feathers and other soft material. 



The eggs vary in number from four to six, are grayish- 

 white in colour, and are more or less covered with oblong gray- 

 ish black spots. 



Chipping Sparrow (Spizella socialis). 



The Chipping Sparrow is the smallest of all our Sparrows, 

 and may be easily recognized by its red-capped head, a conspi- 

 cuous light stripe over the eye, and its slate-coloured breast. 

 It may also be identified by its incessant metallic chirp, as it 

 hops about in the grass or hedge-rows, looking for seeds and 

 insects, as well as by its monotonous little song chippy-chippy- 

 chippy, many times repeated. 



This species is plentiful in Ontario. The female builds its 

 neat little home in low trees near the habitation of man, and, in 

 fact, often in the vines on his porch. The nest is constructed of 

 grass and is beautifully lined inside with horse hair. The eggs 

 are of a delicate robin 's-egg blue, spotted at one end with dark 

 purple. There are two broods of from two to five each year. 



Vesper Sparrow (Pooccetes gramineus). 



The Vesper Sparrow is abundant throughout all parts of 

 North America. Fields, grassy hillsides, and open valleys are 

 its places of resort. It is a shy, timid little bird, resembling to 

 a considerable extent the Song Sparrow ; but is of grayer brown 

 with a bay-brown patch on each shoulder and the outside 

 feathers of the tail white. It is also known as the Bay-winged 

 Bunting, Ground Bird and Grass Finch. In winter, according 

 to Nuttall, these birds flock together in great numbers in the 

 Southern States ; and, mingling with other species, line the road- 

 sides and straggling bushes near the plantations. But no sooner 

 does early spring arrive than they seek out again their nesting 

 regions of the Northern States and Canada. When disturbed, 

 they flit up from the ground, spread their white-bordered tails, 

 and alight a short distance away, to resume their work. This 

 trait is sufficient to identify this species. Their characteristic, 

 attractive song may also be heard during the summer, especially 

 in the late afternoons and evenings. 



The female builds her nest on the ground, sheltered by some 

 grassy tuft. The four to six eggs are of a, grayish-white, thickly 

 covered with dull, reddish-brown spots. 



Song Sparrow (Melospha melodia). 

 The Song Sparrows is one of our earliest summer visitor to 



