THE SOOTY FOX SPARROW. 



153 



luscious salmon-berry, flushed to the wine-red of perfection, while three of 

 her suitors peal invitations to separate bowers in the neighboring tangles. 

 She flees guiltily on detection, but the secret is out; we know now where 

 these shy wood nymphs keep themselves in summer. 



The male bird is sometimes emboldened by the moment of song to 

 venture into the tops of willows or alders, but even here he hugs the screen 

 of leaves and is ready in a trice to dive into the more familiar element of 

 bushes. Once under cover of the protecting salal, or among the crowding 

 ferns, the Fox Sparrows are excelled by none in their ability to get about 

 with a modicum of disturbance; and the longest journeys, such as are made 

 necessary in the time of clamoring young, appear to be made by slipping 

 and sliding thru the maze of intersecting stems. The song is varied and 

 vivacious; but, save for the opening notes, is neither very strong nor ver}' 

 brilliant. The opening 

 phrase, however, Pczvit, 

 hen, comes as a tin)- 

 bugle call into which is 

 distilled the essence of all 

 dank hollows, of all rus- 

 tling leaves, of all mur- 

 muring tides, and of all 

 free-blowing breezes. It 

 is the authentic voice of 

 the little wild. 



On a July day a trio 

 of Indian boys, Ouillay- 

 utes, were showing the 

 bird-man a round of be- 

 lated nesters, while he 

 was looking for opportu- 

 nities to photograph eggs, 

 and also recording Ouil- 

 layutan bird names in 

 passing. A Rusty Song 

 Sparrow's nest held only 

 weanlings, mildly hideous, 

 and the leader, a lad of ten, expressed regret that he could not show me the 

 nest of another kind of Song Sparrow. With excess of Caucasian pride 

 I assured him that there was only one species of Song Sparrow to be found 

 locally, but my learned statements drew forth only puzzled and unconvicted 

 glances. Some days later when I had taken a set of Sooty Fox Sparrow's 

 eggs from a neighboring islet, the boys clamored in triumph, "That's it; 



From a Photograph Copyright, 1907, by W. L. Dawson. 

 CARROLL ISLET— SOUTH EXPOSURE. 



WHERE THE FIRST NEST OF THE SOOTY F0-\ SPARROW WAS FOUND. 



