518 MICHIGAN BIRD LIFE. 



one of the few birds which, in that season, repeat the full chorus of the 

 spring." 



It always rears two broods, and possibly sometimes three, for nests 

 with eggs are found as early as April 15, in the southern part of the state, 

 and again in June and even in July. The earlier nests are commonly 

 placed on the ground, perhaps because the scanty foliage at this time 

 fails to hide the nest, but in regions where evergreens are abundant the 

 early nests are frequently placed in these, and the later ones also. As a 

 matter of fact nests are found on the ground, in bushes or brush heaps, 

 and occasionally in orchard or shade trees even twenty feet from the ground. 

 The nest is bulky and consists mainly of grasses and weed-stalks usually 

 with a thick lining of horse hair. The eggs are three to six, extremely 

 variable in ground color and markings, but alwaj^s spotted with brown or 

 black on a bluish, greenish or white background. They average .7i) by 

 .59 inches. 



Probably this species rears more Cowbirds than any other bii'd whicli 

 we have; it is also one of those which not infrequently rears one or two 

 of its own young in addition to a young Cowbird, a feat which is impossible 

 for many of the smaller birds. 



The food of the Song Sparrow is very variable, but while it eats many 

 seeds of weeds and grasses, living mainly on such seeds in winter, it consumes 

 an immense number of insects, on which the young are almost entirely fed. 

 It is rather fond of small wild fruits, and we have seen it take a bite from 

 a cultivated cherry or strawberry, but this is by no means a common habit. 

 Among the insects consumed are large numbers of span-worms, cut-worms 

 and other lepidopterous larvse, as well as vast numbers of grasshoppers 

 and other injurious forms. On the whole, we have no common bird which 

 is more uniformly beneficial to the agriculturist and which at the same 

 time is so confiding and sweet-voiced. It is much to be regretted that it 

 sufficiently resembles the English Sparrow in size and color to be mistaken 

 by the careless for that bird, and undouljtedly thousands of these valuable 

 and innocent birds have been killed for the bounty which Michigan has 

 unwisely offei'ed for so many years on the English Spari'ow. 



TFX'HNICAL DESCRIPTION. 



Adult (sexes alike) : Top of head brown, streaked witli deeper brown or blackisli, and 

 divided l)y a median stripe of light grayish which is very narrow on the forehead and nuicli 

 wider on tlie occiput; a similar ashy stripe over the eye, and most of the ear-coverts of 

 the same color, the latter usually distinctly bordered with brown or blackish; chin and 

 throat white or whitish, bordered on either side by a series of dark brown or blackish 

 streaks, which in turn are separated from the ear-coverts by a light gray or wliitish stripe; 

 upper parts brownish gray, heavily streaked with dark brown or blackish on the middle 

 back and scapulars, and elsewhere with light brown; under parts white or buffy white, 

 the breast and sides streaked and spotted witii dark brown or blackish, the spots usually 

 arrow-shaped, and commonly thickest in tlie middle of the breast where they form a more 

 or less distinct spot; wings brownish, with little or no trace of bars, the secondaries reddisli 

 brown on their outer webs, the tertiaries mainly black, with broad cliestnut or rufoiis 

 margins whicli become white toward the tips; f ail-feathors reddish-brown, the midtlle pair 

 usually with blackish shaft-stripes, and in(nstincfly barred with dusky; bill brownish 

 above, yellowish below; iris brown. Autumn siiecimens are browner or more buffy, especi- 

 ally on chest and sides. Young birds are similar, but with all the colors more blended, 

 the dark markings less sharply defined. 



Length G to G.75 inches; wing 2.45 to 2.80; tail 2.5S to 3.02; culmen .50 to .54. 



