JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY. lOI 



brood in a season. A distinguishing mark of this bird is a small 

 yellow streak over the eyes. 



The Field Sparrow (yEniberiza pusilla) is smaller than either of 

 the species described, being about the size of, and resembling in 

 some respects, the Chipping Sparrow, but may be distinguished 

 from the latter by its bill, which is of a bright cinnamon color, while 

 that of the Chipping Sparrow is nearly black and of a horny appear- 

 ance. The Field Sparrow arrives here about the middle of April, 

 migrating by day. They then seek old, uncultivated grounds, such 

 as sheep or cattle pastures, which are besprinkled with sweet briar 

 bushes, and stunted shrubbery of other descriptions, at the foot of 

 which they build their nests with dry grasses, lined more or less with 

 horsehair, much after the manner of the other species already re- 

 ferred to. They lay five or six eggs of a ferruginous color, and in 

 oursection probably hatch two broods in a season. The young leave 

 their nests, and follow their parents before they can fly, and when 

 the old folks are engrossed in rearing a new family, are left to shift 

 for themselves. The Field Sparrow is an exquisite songster. 



The Chipping Sparrow {^Einberiza socialis) , as his I^atin name 

 indicates, is a social bird, and is known doubtless to most of our 

 citizens. He comes into the city, to localities where there is shrub- 

 bery or trees to attract him, builds a nest on the apple or plum tree, 

 the lilac or rose bush with equal facility, sometimes in the honey- 

 suckle or other vine that may be running up beside the portico. 

 The nest is of fine dried grass, lined with horse or cow hair, the 

 eggs (four or five) of a light blue color. The Chipping Sparrows 

 seldom make their appearance here till the latter part of April or 

 the first of May. They migrate by day in flocks, flitting along from 

 point to point as if in play with each other. Somebody has said 

 that their song (if song it can be called) resembles the noise pro- 

 duced by striking two pebbles rapidly together, and he thought the 

 comparison a good one. The males pour it out with a good deal of 

 self-complacency, wherever they happen to alight, whether on the 

 roof tree of the house, the top of the shade tree, the lilac bush, or 

 the fence rail, and in the calm of the slillv hours of the sunnner 



