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Rural School Leaflet. 





THE SONG SPARROW 

 Arthur A. Allen 



Surely the Song Sparrow is one of Nature's 

 greatest successes. No adverse circumstances 

 have been able to daunt this hardy adventurer. 

 So versatile is he, that he has adapted himself to 

 all sorts of conditions and few are the places on 

 this continent where some one of his kind cannot 

 be found. No chill of cloud or rain can check 

 his cheerful voice. Even darkness itself can but 

 conceal the singer whose merry notes often 

 break the midnight silence or add to the nocturnal chorus. Wherever 

 there is a clump of bushes into which he can dive for protection from 

 cat or hawk, we may hear his happy voice. It may be in our very barn- 

 yard or it may be in the thickets bordering the forest, for nearly every- 

 where he is one of our most abundant birds. 



Perhaps you do not know thfe Song Sparrow by this name or cannot, at 

 present, even recall his song. The boys sometimes call him " bushbird " 

 or " longtailed groundbird," but Song Sparrow is the preferred name. 

 Surely you have seen the little brown bird sitting on fence rail or bush 

 top pouring forth his vivacious notes and diving into cover at your 

 approach. Some birds fly up and away, depending for safety upon flight ; 

 but never so with the Song Sparrow. Always singing from an exposed 

 perch, he depends for safety upon cover and flies into the nearest bush, 

 pumping his tail, up and down, as he goes. 



Unlike the Vesper Sparrow, the Song Sparrow is seldom found in 

 the open field and his nest, when placed on the ground, is always con- 

 cealed b}'' overhanging grass. Very often, however, the nest is placed 

 in a low bush, so concealed by leaves and branches that one must 

 actually get inside of the bush to find it. 



All year long the Song Sparrows are with us in greater or less abund- 

 ance. In winter, the more northern birds move southward, but with a 

 little search almost anywhere in New York State we can find the Song 

 Sparrow all winter. At this time of year, however, we seldom hear him 

 singing and it is often necessary to tramp the brambles and brush heaps 

 before we see him. With the first few sunshiny days of spring he again 

 comes out in full force and it is not long before he is once more among 

 cur commonest birds. 



What to look for. — A streaky brown bird about the size of the English 

 and Vesper Sparrows, a heavy spot in the middle of its streaked breast, 



