THE TREE SPARROW. 43 



immense numbers of individuals as here attested the abund- 

 ance of the Pine Finch. In every part of the forest, from 

 early morning till after the sun had disappeared in the west, 

 there was not a moment that their voices were not heard 

 among the pines and spruce trees overhead." Already in 

 April the young were found nearly fledged, and eggs were 

 taken as early as the 18th of March. Dr. M. reports the 

 nest as "a very bulky structure for so small a bird, and its 

 rough exterior, loosely built of hemlock twigs, with a few 

 sprigs of pigeon moss i^polytrichuni) interspersed, is irregu- 

 lar in outline, and measures about six inches in diameter. 

 The interior, on the contrary, is compactly woven into a 

 sort of felt, the chief ingredients of which are thistle-down 

 and the fur and hair of various mammals." 



In spring it is said to sing very much like the Goldfinch, 

 but in lower tones and more softly. Its conversational 

 chipper is also very similar to that of its near relative. Its 

 nest, said by Dr. Brewer to be "neat," made of "pine twigs" 

 and "lined with hair;" contains pale-greenish eggs speckled 

 with rusty, about .70 X .50. 



In flight, manner of alighting, and movements in obtain- 

 ing food, this species very closely resembles the Goldfinch. 

 In addition to the seeds of the thistle and those of the weeds 

 in general, it appropriates as food the seeds obtained from 

 the cones of the Pine family, climbing actively in the tops 

 of the evergreens. 



THE TREE SPARROW. 



The same day I crept on a large flock of birds in a corn 

 field. They proved to be Tree Sparrows {Sptzella monticola)^ 

 readily distinguished from others of the same family by 

 their dark chestnut crown, and dark spot on a plain, ash- 

 colored breast; the white cross-bars on the wing coverts 

 also are generally quite conspicuous. 



