PERCHING BIRDS 



540. Vesper Sparrow. Poacetes 

 gra in ineus gra in in cus. 



Range. — Eastern United States, breeding from 

 Virginia and Missouri north to .Manitoba and 

 New Brunswick; winters in the southern half 

 of the United States. 



A streaked grayish, buffy 



and white bird distinguished 



by its chestnut shoulders and 



white outer tail feathers. 



They are abundant birds in 



eastern fields where their 



loud piping whistle is known 

 u " 111S " to many frequenters of weedy 



pastures. They build on the ground, either 

 in grassy or cultivated fields, Lining the hollow 

 scantily with grasses. Their four or five eggs 

 are usually laid in May or June; they are dull 

 whitish, blotched and splashed with light 

 brown and lavender tints; size .80 x .60. 



540a. Western Vespeh Sparrow. Pooecetes gramineus confinis. 



Range. — This paler variety is found in North America west of the Plains and 

 south of Saskatchewan. 



Its nesting habits are like those of the preceding and the eggs are indistin- 

 guishable. 



lul>. Oregon Vesper Sparrow. Pooecetes gramineus affinis. 

 \ browner variety found on the coasl of Oregon and northern California. 

 Its nesting habits are like those of the eastern bird and the eggs similar bin 



averaging a trifle smaller. 



' * English Sparrow, Passer 

 dcrmesticus. 



These birds, which were imported from 

 Europe, have increased so rapidly that they 

 have overrun the cities and villages of the coun- 

 try and are doing inestimable damage both b> 

 driving out native insect 

 eating birds and by their ^^' 



own destrucl Lveness. They 

 nest in all sorts of place 

 imt preferably b e h i n d 

 blinds, where their un- 

 sightly masses of straw 



prol rude from bet weell the 



slats, ami their droppings besmirch the build 



below; they breed at all seasons of the 



year, eggs having often been found in January, 



with several feet of sllow on the -round ami 



the mercury below zero. The eggs number from 



I,, ur to eight in a set and from four to eight 



pe whitish, spotted 



and blotched with shade- ol graj ami black. 



Size .88 \ .''■'». 





