Rural School Leaflet. 



913 



will usually distinguish it from all the other sparrows. There are four 

 common sparrows with streaked breasts in Eastern United States, one 

 of which we have already studied. Perhaps if I tabulate their dis- 

 tmguishing marks it will make it easier to learn them. 



Hozv to distinguish the sparrows zvith streaked breasts 

 Name Where found Distinguishing marks 



Vesper Sparrow Open fields Grayish color, white outer 



tail feathers 

 Savanna Sparrow Open fields, reedy lake Yellow lines on the head, 



shores short tail 



About bushes Lines on head gray, larger 



spot in middle of breast 

 Thickets and weedy places Reddish brown color, espec- 

 in spring and fall ially on rump and tail, 



large spots on breast 



Song Sparrow 

 Fox Sparrow 



Where to look. — Never far from the vicinity of bushes, the Song Spar- 

 row is nevertheless one of the most common birds of village and farm. 



It may often be 

 village streets or 

 picking crumbs 

 libh Sparrows, 

 dant is it, how 

 sides in the coun ' 

 pastures and in 

 Suggestions: 



I. The song of 

 row resembles 

 Sparrow but is 

 whistle and 



seen along the 

 about dooryards, 

 ^'^ with the Eng- 



N-__ ]\Iuch more abun- 

 ever, along road- 

 try, in bushy 

 hedgerows. 



the Song Spar- 

 that of the Vesper 

 not so clear a 

 begins with three 



instead of two ^'''' """^ ^^^^ ^f «.-^^«^ Sparrow. Much n^tes of the same 



• 1 -T-i of the overhanging material has been ,i , , 



pitch. The song '„„..,,,.., n a s b e e n d e - 



' ^ ° removed to show the eggs 



scribed as fitting the words 



'■ Madge, Madge, Madge, put on your tea kettle-ettle-ettle." See whether 

 you can compose words of your own to fit the song. 



2. The call note is the most characteristic and easily learned of any 

 of the sparrows, being a rather distressed " chimp." 



3. The nest for the first brood is built on the ground during the latter 

 part of April or first of May. Later. nc>ts are very often built in bushes. 

 What reason can you suggest for this difference? 



/^Z^ 



