FIELD SPARROW 183 



equivalent to the destruction of a host later in 

 the year," we are told. The Chewink eats some 

 unusual insects, having a liking for both hairy 

 caterpillars and potato bugs. 



From its habits one would naturally infer that 

 the Towhee nested on the ground, and this ground 

 nest, with its dead-leaf walls and its white eggs 

 dulled by their uniform brown dotting, corre- 

 sponds so closely with the surroundings and the 

 lights and shades of the woods, that one may hunt 

 a long time for the pleasure of watching the pro- 

 ceedings of a family of nestlings and their anx- 

 ious guardians. 



Field Sparrow : Spizella pusilla. 



Bill reddish ; crown and back reddish hroicn ; breast buffy, un- 

 spotted. Length, about 5| inches. 



Geographic Distribution. — Eastern North America ; breeds 

 from KaiLsas, southern Illinois, and South Carolina to Quebec 

 and Manitoba ; winters from Illinois and Virginia southward. 



There is a third bird which frequents the haunts 

 of the Thrasher and Chewink, which to me seems 

 to surpass them both in the wild flavor of its 

 song. Mr. Burroughs describes it as being " ut- 

 tered at first high and leisurely, but running very 

 rapidly toward the close, which is low and soft," 

 and he gives it as fe-o^ ,/e-o, fe-o^ /c/r, feii\ feio^ 

 fee^fee^fee. Tliough perfectly unpretentious and 

 simple as far as note goes, there is a certain sad, 

 ringing quality to the song which makes it haunt 



