FINCHES AND SPARROWS 243 



are able to winter in the United States, living 

 upon the seeds of the \Yeeds that protrude above 

 the snow ; while exclusively insectivorous birds, 

 such as Cuckoos, Goatsuckers, Hummingbirds, 

 Swifts, Fl^'catchers, and Swallows, must go to the 

 tropics to find their winter food. 



As a family the Finches and Sparrows are 

 musical birds, some of them such remarkable 

 songsters that they rank with the Orioles, Wrens, 

 Thrashers, and Mockingbird. 



The Sjiarrows live for the most part in open 

 fields, where their dull brown streaked coats pro- 

 tect them ; while the Finches, largely bright-col- 

 ored birds, such as the Indigo-bird and Cardinal, 

 live in the cover of trees, where their conspicuous 

 coats are less noticeable. As the Sparrows spend 

 much of their time on the ground, they are birds of 

 strong feet (see Fig. 21, p. 50) 

 andshortround wings (Fig. 149), r' -^^^^ 



in sharp contrast to the birds %:£z-^ 



that get their food on the wing Fig. 149. 



(Figs. 99, p. 189; 100 and 102, Wing of Son- 

 p. 190). The commonest Spar- Sparrow, 



rows are easily distinguished. The Chijiping 

 Sparrow (see Fig. 55, p. 113), and the Clay-col- 

 ored, its cousin of the plains, are the two dooryard 

 Sparrows, as Mr. Torrey would call them, and 

 I'ank with the smallest of the family. The Song 

 Sparrow is a size larger ; its breast is streaked, and 

 has usually a black spot in the centre (Fig. 154, 



