Sparrow WESTERN BIRDS 



being sometimes seen in California, Oregon, Utah, and 

 Colorado, but breeding in the northern tier of States as 

 far west as Montana, and migrating in the fall into the 

 middle Eastern States, and sometimes going as far south 

 as Florida and Mexico. 



This White-throated Sparrow differs chiefly in plum- 

 age from the White-crowns in having a yellow line before 

 the eye, and at the bend of the wing, and in having a 

 square white patch on the throat. The females and young 

 have the yellow duller, and the crown patch streaked in 

 brownish and black, rather than black and white. 



In their way of banding together in sociable groups 

 and coming into the hedgerows and woodland under- 

 growths they resemble the White-crowns. The song, al- 

 though sweet and attractive, differs from that of its 

 cousin just considered, consisting, according to Dr. Judd, 

 of a high, plaintive, drawn-out pipe, that once heard 

 is seldom forgotten. In New England this song has 

 been thought to suggest the words, Peabody! Peabody! 

 Peabody! and the Sparrow has received the name of 

 Peabody Bird. Equally characteristic, though less gen- 

 erally known, is a curious clinking call-note that is ut- 

 tered at first loudly, then in a softer, more conversational 

 tone, when the birds are repairing in flocks to their quar- 

 ters for the night during their sojourn in the south. 



The nests are made of coarse grasses, rootlets, strips 

 of bark, or similar material, and lined with finer fibers, 

 and are built either on the ground or in some low bush. 



Dr. Judd tells us that the food for the year, as a whole, 

 as indicated by stomach contents, consists of 19 per cent 

 animal matter and 81 per cent vegetable matter. Of the 

 vegetable food, 3 per cent is grain, 50 per cent weed 

 seeds, and the remainder chiefly wild fruit. 



During the winter of 1918-19 one of these handsome 

 birds came daily for several weeks to the bird table of 

 a Los Angeles bird lover in the Hollywood district. It 



176 



