5f> 



BIRDS OF AMERICA 



nest " distinctly roofed-over or domed," accord- 

 ing to the description given by Major Bendire. 

 He continues by saying that the nests " are 

 cybndrical in shape, about seven or eight inches 

 long by three in height . . . and the roof a 

 little over half an inch in thickness. . . . The 

 nests are all constructed out of dry grasses 

 exclusively, and are lined with fine grass tops 

 only. Some are much more artistically and com- 

 pactly built than others." 



Yet a greater claim to attention this bird has 

 in its beautiful song. Dr. Chapman in speaking 

 of the Pine-woods Sparrow, goes so far as to 

 say, " In my opinion its song is more beautiful 

 than that of any other of our Sparrows. It is 



very simple — I write it cJice-c-c-c—dc, dc, dc ; 

 chc-c—chcc-o, chcc-o, chcc-o, chcc-o — but it pos- 

 sesses all the exquisite tenderness and pathos of 

 the melody of the Hermit Thrush ; indeed, in 

 purity of tone and in execution I should con- 

 sider the Sparrow the superior songster." 



The Southern Pine Finch (Bachman's) has a 

 song very similar tO' the Pine-woods Sparrow's. 

 Its song has been compared to the plaintive song 

 of the Field Sparrow, but louder and far sweeter. 

 As far north as the Ohio River, the Southern 

 Pine Finch may be heard (and seldom seen) in 

 open oak woods. Dr. W. W. Cooke found that 

 it is extending its range north of the Potomac 

 and over the Monongahela. 



SONG SPARROW 



Melospiza melodia melodia (Jl'ilson) 



A. O. V. .\umbcr 581 See Color I'l.ite 84 



Other Names. — Silver Tongue ; Everybody's Dar- 

 ling; Ground Sparrow; Hedge Sparrow; Bush Spar- 

 row ; Ground-bird ; Marsh Sparrow ; Red Grass-bird ; 

 Swamp Finch. 



A^ 



Drawing by R. I. Brasher 



SONG SPARROW (1 nat. size) 



A sweet singer of the spring and summer and a useful 

 friend the year round 



General Description. — Length, 6H inches. Upper 

 parts, brown and black in streaks ; under parts, white 

 streaked with black. Wings, short and rounded ; tail, 

 about the length of wing, rounded or double rounded, 

 the feathers narrow and blunt. 



Color. — Adults : Crown, brown narrowly streaked 

 with black and divided by a narrow center stripe of 

 gray ; hindneck, brownish gray streaked or washed with 



brown ; shoulders and between, black centrally produc- 

 ing streaks, these margined laterally with brown ; the 

 edges of the tail-feathers, brownish-gray; rump, olive- 

 grayish streaked with brown ; upper tail-coverts, 

 browner than rump and more distinctly streaked ; tail, 

 brown ; lesser wing-coverts, brown ; middle coverts, 

 brown margined terminally with pale brownish gray ; 

 greater coverts, brown margined tenninally with paler 

 and marked with a broad center tear-shaped (mostly 

 concealed) space of blackish; inner wing-quills, mostly 

 blackish, but outer webs chiefly brown ; edge of wing, 

 white; a broad stripe of olive-gray over eye; a broad 

 cheek stripe of dull white or pale buf¥y, margined below 

 by a conspicuous stripe or triangular spot of black or 

 mixed brown and black ; under parts, white ; the chest, 

 marked ivith wedge-shaped streaks of black edged with 

 rusty brown, these streaks in lower central portion of 

 chest, or upper breast, fonning an irregular spot ; sides 

 and flanks, streaked with black and rusty-brown ; under 

 tail-coverts, white or pale buffy; iris, brown. (In 

 suiTimer the colors grayer, with streaks on chest, etc., 

 narrower, sometimes wholly black; in winter the gen- 

 eral coloration browner, the brown parts more rusty.) 

 Young : Much like adults, but without any gray on 

 upper parts ; the crown, duller brown with the indistinct 

 center stripe dull grayish buffy and the narrow blackish 

 streaks much less distinct than in adults ; ground color 

 of back and shoulders, light buiTy brownish or dull 

 bufify; under parts, duller white, often quite buffy, 

 witli the streaks narrower and much less distinct. 



Nest and Eggs. — Nest: Typical site on ground, 

 in fields, adjoining woods, sheltered under a tussock of 

 grass ; sometimes in bushes, cedar or other small trees, 

 or in hollows of apple or other trees ; constructed of 



