30 Sketches of Some Commoji Birds. 



seem most numerous and vivacious, though along the 

 margins of fields of wheat, oats, and other grains their 

 voices are commonly heard. Travelers along the rural 

 roads have opportunities to learn something of the ap- 

 pearance and manners of the Dickcissels. As we pass 

 them perched in the hedges or near the summits of low 

 trees along the roadside, or clinging to the top of a con- 

 venient U2)right rail of tbe fence, we note their decided 

 resemblance to the meadow larks, though they are much 

 flmaller, an average specimen being about the size of the 

 bluebird. In our cursory examination of the individuals 

 we thus meet, we observe that the prevailing colors of 

 the upper parts are yellowish brown. The males have 

 bright yellow breasts and an ornamental black patch on 

 their throats, with dingy white under parts. The females 

 are without the yellow breasts and the black throat patch, 

 having the lower parts dusky white streaked with darker 

 colors. The movements of these birds on the ground are 

 seldom observed, though they often flit from higher sit- 

 uations to the grass, and alight on the low weed top < 

 and tussocks to utter their songs. However, they do not 

 walk about on the bare ground like the meadow larks, 

 but rather hide in the grass like the sparrows. 



The vocal efforts of the Dickcissels have been charac- 

 terized as monotonous; yet if they were less persistent 

 vocalists, their performances would doubtless seem less 

 uniform and tiresome. Their singing has also been de- 

 scribed as wholly lacking in melody, but in my opinion 

 it is equally meritorious with the efforts of some bird 

 musicians generally received with open favor. There is 

 a moderate degree of variation in the musical ability of 

 different individuals, but the ordinary song has been well 

 interpreted in the rendition, "See, see — Dick, Dick,cissel, 

 cissel." It is executed in a manner very similar to the 

 performance of the song sparrow, the opening syllables 

 being pronounced slowly and loudly, the remainder being 

 more hurried and in gradually ascending pitch. At any 

 hour of the day, even in the greatest heat of noonday, 

 the voices of the Dickcissels can be heard, and frequently 

 a number are within hearing, as the birds are perched on 

 branches of convenient hedge trees, or on fence stakes, or 



