LAND BIRDS. 517 



235. Song Sparrow. Melospiza melodia melodia (Gmel). (581) 



Synonyms: Ground Sparrow, Ground-bird, Hedge Sparrow, Bush Sparrow. — Fringilla 

 melodia, Wilson, 1810, Bonap., Aud., Nutt., 1832. — Fringilla fasciata, Gmel., 1788. — 

 Melospiza fasciata, Scott, 1876, A. O. U. Check-lists, 1886, 1895. — Melospiza cinera melodia; 

 Ridgw., 1901. 



Plates LI, LI I, and Figure 117. 



Brown or reddish-])rown above, ashy or whitish below, but everywhere 

 streaked with brownish black, the streaks tending to run together and 

 form a large patch or spot in the middle of the breast. 



Distribution. — Eastern United States to the Plains, breeding from 

 Virginia and the southern portion of the Lake States northward to the 

 Fur Countries. 



This familiar little bird is well distributed in summer over the entire 

 state, and under one or another of the above names is well known to almost 

 every dweller in town or country. It is not 

 resident in any considerable numbers, even in the 

 southernmost parts of the state, yet each winter 

 a few individuals may be found in sheltered 

 places in the southern half of the Lower Peninsula, 

 and in exceptionally mild winters scattering flocks 

 of a dozen individuals are seen. The presence of 

 these interferes somewhat with the records of spring ... - , „ >5.:«s*=- 

 migration, since these bii^ds which have wintered W^^^^"^' 

 begin to sing in February or early March, in fact N'^'mlA?^ 



may sing in bright weather during any clay in 5fc^ 



winter. >- 



Song Sparrows appear in numbers in the southern Fig ii7. Song sparrow, 

 part of the state about the middle of March, and bms. Ho'ughton, Mffllii & Co. 

 from this time until the middle of April they are 



moving northward in large numbers. It is one of the species most often 

 killed at lighthouses and we have records from Spectacle Reef Light, 

 Lake Huron, for April 12, 17, 23, 1890, also for May 15, 1890 and September 

 4, 1893. It arrived at Palmer, Marquette county, April 15, 1894, and 

 April 5, 1895, and at Sault Ste. Marie April 21, 1899. 



It is found in almost every conceivable place except open pasture lands, 

 but shows a decided preference for the neighborhood of water and is most 

 abundant in the bushes along streams, about the margins of ponds, along 

 the edges of wet woods, and in bushy meadows. In such situations it is 

 seen flitting from bush to bush, or more commonly the male is seen perched 

 on the top of a bush or fencepost chanting his simple little song from 

 morning till night. Hoffman says of the song "It is subject to endless 

 variation in the species, and varies to a considerable degree even in the 

 same individual, but it commonly begins with three brisk notes or pairs 

 of notes 'whit, whit, whit,' or 'o-lit, o-lit, o-lit,' and in the middle of the 

 song there is apt to be a harsh burring note, after which the song quickly 

 runs out to some ending." Bicknell says "It sings with greater constancy 

 through the seasons, and with less regard to adverse weather, than any 

 other of our song birds. All through the hottest summer weather it is 

 songful, though the oppressive days of late August seem sorely to try 

 its spirit; but it recovers its cheerfulness with advancing autumn and is 



