140 FIELD SPARROW. 



its higher ground, but the two Sparrows now to be men- 

 tioned are birds of the uplands, rarely if ever living in 

 low, wet places. 



An old hillside pasture, dotted with young cedars or 



clumps of bushes, in which he may place his nest, is the 



Field Sparrow, favorite home of the Field Sparrow. 



Spizt/iapnf.-iiia. Here you may look for him early in 



Plate XLiii. April. He is a rather shy bird, who 

 will fly some distance when alarmed, end then alight on 

 a bare twng near or at the top of some bush or sapling. 

 Very different this from the Song Sj^arrow's way of div- 

 ing into a bush. 



From his exposed position he watches you and gives 

 you an equally good chance to watch him. Xote the 

 whitish, unstreaked breast, the reddish brown or sorrel 

 crown, the gray face and w^hitish ring about the eye, and 

 especially the pale brownish or flesh-colored bill. These 

 are all good marks, and if now you can hear him sing his 

 identity will be settled without question. His song is one 

 of the most pleasing I know. It is very simple but very 

 expressive, a sweet, plaintive cher-icee, cher-wee, cher-wee, 

 cheeo dee-e-e-e-e, which goes straight to one's heart. It is 

 sung most freely after sunset, and is in keeping with the 

 peacefulness of the evening hour. At this time, too, the 

 bird seems inspired to more than usual effort, and its or- 

 dinary song is often so elaborated and prolonged as to be 

 scarcely recognizable. 



The song season ends in the latter part of August, 

 and, although the birds are with us until ISTovember, I 

 have rarely heard them sing in the fall. 



The Vesper Sparrow, Grass Finch, or Bay-^vinged 

 Bunting — for he bears all three names — prefers more 

 open grounds than the Field Sparrow selects. There is 

 something free and spirited about this bird r.nd its song 

 which demands space for its proper development. Xo 



