96 NEWS FROM THE BIRDS. 



ing nearly all other songsters of field and wood, 

 this blithe little speckle-breast tells the story 

 of his constant good temper by trilling his 

 most cheerful strains. 



My monograph would not be complete 

 without the recital of my observations on this 

 winsome bird during a recent winter and 

 S23ring. The winter had been unusually rigor- 

 ous, driving the sparrows into a more cordial 

 climate for a couple of months. In the first 

 week of February the weather turned quite 

 bland, and then the little lyrists came back in 

 full force. How they sang ! Concert followed 

 concert in celebration of their return to the old 

 home. At first they seemed to be a little out 

 of tune, but soon their voices regained their 

 wonted power, and I never heard them sing 

 more gleefully. It was indeed a song carni- 

 val. On pleasant days they almost split their 

 throats vying Avith one another in the lyrical 

 contest ; but cold weather did not stifle all their 

 music. 



The last day of February, for example, was 

 raw, with the wind blowing from the east and 

 the snow flying in spiteful gusts. I walked 

 out to the swamp to see whether my song spar- 

 rows had survived the ^^ cold wave." Indeed, 

 they had. Several of them sang most sweetly. 



