CHIPinXG SPARROW. 321 



Arctic Oueau south, in winter, to the (Jaroliiuus, Kentiu-ky ami Kastern Kiui.sas. 

 Breeds north of the United States, east of the Rocky Mountains. 



Nest, indiflereuth' on the ground or in a tree or bush, composed of giass, 

 rootlets, mud, tine grass and haii-. 



Eggs, l)luish-green, speckled and blotched \Nith reddish-brown. 



Tn Soutlieni Ontario the Tree Sparrow is a regular winter visitor, 

 arriving from the north during the month of October, and remaining 

 over tlte winter in sheltered IioUows or among the brtish and weeds 

 i)y tlie banks of streams. In appearance it does not look like a 

 hardy bird, l)ut while here it is exceedingly lively and cheerful, its 

 silvery, tinkling notes being frequently heard during the cf)ldest 

 snaps in wintei-. At the approach of spring all the Tree Sparrows 

 move off to the north, and none are observed during summer. 



SPIZELLA SOCIALIS (Wils.). 

 i'-51. Chipping Sparrow. (560) 



Adii/f : — Bill, black ; feet, pale ; crown, chestnut, extreme forehead Idack, a 

 grayish-white superciliary line, below this a blackish stripe through eye and 

 over auriculars ; below, a variable shade of pale ash, nearly uniform and 

 entirely unmarked ; back, streaked with black, dull bay and grayish-brown ; 

 inner secondaries and wing coverts, similarly variegated, the tips of the 

 greater and lesser coverts forming whitish bars ; rump, ashy, with slight 

 blackisli streaks ; primaries and tail dusky, the bill pale brown, and the head 

 lacking definite black. Length, 5-5i ; wing, about 2§ ; tail, rather less. 



Hab. — Eastern North America, west to the Rocky Mountains, north to 

 <ireat Slave Lake, and south to Eastern Mexico. 



Nest, in a bush or among the vines, composed of rootlets and fine grass, 

 lined with horse-hair. 



Eggs, three or four, pale bluish-green, dotted, speckled or scrawled with 

 <lark brown. 



Prior to the advent of the House Sparrow, the Chipper was the 

 most familiar and Ijest known bird around our dwellings, and though 

 now in the minority, it still builds its nest in the garden, and comes 

 familiarh' near the door to pick up crumbs for the support of its 

 family. 



It is very generally distributed over Ontario, being found near 

 tlie dwellings of rich and poor alike ; in shade trees in the city as 

 well as in weedy corners and thorn l)ushes in the pasture-field. 



It arrives from the soutli al)Out the end of April, and at once 

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