26 THE RETURN OF THE BIRDS. 



cover to mouse or bird, these cunning rogues would 

 ^e apt to explore most thoroughly. The partridge ia 

 undoubtedly acquainted with the same process of rea- 

 soning ; for, like the vesper-bird, she, too, nests in 

 open, unprotected places, avoiding all show of con- 

 cealment, — coming from the tangled and almost im- 

 penetrable parts of the forest, to the clean, open 

 woods, where she can command all the approaches 

 and fly with equal ease in any direction. 



Another favorite sparrow, but little noticed, is the 

 frood or bush sparrow, usually called by the ornith- 

 ologists Spizella pusilla. Its size and form is that of 

 the sociaUs, but is less distinctly marked, being of a 

 duller redder tinge. He prefers remote bushy 

 heathery fields, where his song is one of the sweetest 

 to be heard. It is sometimes very noticeable, es- 

 pecially early in spring. I remember sitting one 

 bright day in the still leafless April woods, when one 

 of these birds struck up a few rods from me, repeat- 

 ing its lay at short intervals for nearly an hour. It 

 was a perfect piece of wood-music, and was of course 

 h\\ the more noticeable for being projected upon such 

 a broad unoccupied page of silence. Its song is like 

 die words, fe-o, fe-o, fe-o, few^ few, few, fee fee fee^ 

 ottered at first high and leisurely, but running very 

 rapidly toward the close, which is low and soft. 



Still keeping among the unrecognized, the white* 

 eyed vireo, or fly-catcher, deserves particular men- 

 tion. The song of this bird is not particularly swee* 

 »nd soft ; on the contrary, it is a little hard and shrill, 



