SPARROWS AND FINCHES 43 



The song of the Savanna Is characteristic, so 

 unlike that of any other Sparrow that once 

 heard it will not be easily mistaken. It is weak, 

 rather strident, insect-like, closely resembling 

 in the opening notes the trill of a grasshopper. 

 Mr. Chapman describes it as '' tsip-tsip-tsip' 

 sS-e-e s' r-r-r.'' This song is less musical than 

 that of any other Sparrow I have heard except 

 the Chippy, yet it is interesting for its pecu- 

 liarities. It is heard at all times of day but is 

 more frequent toward evening. 



The nest is made of grass or moss and the 

 four or five blue eggs are spotted with brown. 

 The Savanna comes to us in late March or early 

 April and stays till November, ranging from 

 New Jersey to Labrador. They winter from 

 Virginia southward to the Gulf of Mexico. 



Grasshopper Sparrow. This Sparrow has a 

 more southern range than the Savanna, rarely 

 venturing north of central New England. It is 

 usually found in old, dry, abandoned fields where 

 weeds abound. Its ground-dwelling habits and 

 weak notes render it a very inconspicuous bird, 

 easily overlooked if one is not aware of its 

 presence in a certain locality. Its song, as the 

 name suggests, is strikingly like the chirp of a 

 grasshopper, to which it is commonly likened. 

 The notes resemble the trill of the Chippy and. 

 are suggested by the syllables ' Hut tut,'' zee-e-e-e-e- 

 e-e-Cy " thin and wiry, audible for a short distance 

 only, unless one is specially listening for them.^ 



The dress of the Grasshopper Sparrow is 

 quite distinctive. The upper parts are reddish 

 brown streaked with ash-gray. The crown is 



