Grasshopper Sparrow. 41 



Notwithstanding the abundance of the grasshopper 

 sparrows in the meadows and hayfields, however, there 

 are many persons who never think of associating these 

 little timorous brown and yellow-clad creatures with the 

 shrill trilling so common in such places. Ey many of the 

 farm boys the startled birds that dart through the grass 

 at their approach are known as "grass birds," an ex- 

 tremely appropriate title, by the way, for few birds spend 

 more time in the grass than these shy, retiring sparrows. 

 Though a number may be heard calling at any time in 

 the mating and nesting season, none may be in sight, and 

 in the mingled green and brown herbage of the meadows 

 they sit through most of the day, incessantly repeating 

 their wheezy trills. The popular name of " ground bird " 

 is equally significant of their aversion to long flights or 

 high situations from which to shrill their measures of 

 content. On the ground or in the grass they run like 

 meadow mice to elude the presence and notice of intrud- 

 ers; and though the terms "grass bird" and "ground 

 bird" are indefinite and applied to other birds of the 

 meadows, they suggest the leading traits in the habits of 

 these sparrows. Another distinctive appellation formerly 

 given to them and yet retained by them in some localities 

 is that of "yellow-winged sparrow," a very satisfactory 

 term, in view of the markings by which these birds may 

 be readily identified by the novice. While the wing is 

 not entirely yellow, the bend of the wing is brightly 

 marked with this color, and the lower division of the 

 shoulders is tinged with the same conspicuous color. 

 These marks will enable the bird-gazer to distinguish 

 these interesting little sparrows from other members of 

 the family which bear superficial resemblances to them. 



Grasshopper-like in its utterances and mouse-like in its 

 movements on the ground, it is no less original and in- 

 teresting in its flight. Have you never watched the 

 aerial movements of certain birds and conjectured the 

 purposes of their flight? Why does the sluggish red- 

 tailed hawk soar above us in widening circles, mounting 

 ever higher and higher to float scarcely lower than the 

 drifting cloud-fleeces, except to forget the earth for a 

 time and bathe in the flooding sunshine? And when the 



