248 KNOWING BIRDS THROUGH STORIES 



Some birds have a musical voice but a limited range to 

 their notes. Other birds have a wide range of notes but 

 little music. The wood thrush is an example of the first 

 class while the blue jay is a good example of the second. 

 Perhaps few birds have a wider range of notes than he ; yet 

 few birds have less music in their voice. The song spar- 

 row is different from both these. He not only has a de- 

 lightfully musical voice but there is enough variation to 

 his song to make it pleasing indeed. 



He builds his nest in the meadows or orchards; usually 

 the nest is on the ground and sometimes in a bush or 

 a tree. It seems that these birds can never be sure which 

 is best. They raise three broods each year, and build 

 three nests in which to do so. The first may be on the 

 ground, the second in a tree, and the third in a bush, or 

 vice versa. The nest is made of grass and lined with hair, 

 usually horse hair. The eggs are bluish white, speckled 

 all over with brown. My observation has been that six are 

 usually laid in the first clutch, five in the second, and only 

 three in the third. The young are fed largely on insects. 

 The mother is a faultless housekeeper, carrying all litter 

 thirty or forty feet from the nest. In fact, when her 

 young are ready to fly, her nest is in as good condition as 

 that of most birds when first built. A new nest would 

 seem wholly unnecessary, but this bird will take no 

 chance with vermin or disease — strange contrast with her 

 filth loving English cousin. The old bird feeds almost 

 entirely on insects and weed seeds; and, living as he 

 does where weed seeds are most apt to be a nuisance, his 

 efforts in this line are beneficial indeed. 



After you have learned to recognize sparrows by their 

 chape and general appearance you will be able to distinguish 



