FINCHES. 41 



for it, too, has braved the winter's frosts and 

 sported with the fleet - winged Buntings. In sum- 

 mer it nests in the same sunny borders as the 

 Song Sparrow, hiding more securely its very similar 

 nest, with lighter colored eggs. The Savanna 

 Sparrow is the bird of the grass fields where its 

 slender - built nest lies hidden in every clump of 

 tangled herbage. From the grass fields, in warm 

 June days, the slender whispers of these tiny 

 songsters come as a gentle undertone to the gen- 

 eral peal of summer's music. The loud burst of 

 the Grass Finch, the clear, ringing whistle of the 

 White-throat Sparrow, and the rapid chipping of 

 the Chip Sparrow burst on the ear at rapid in- 

 tervals ; but the gentle notes of the Savannas 

 never cease, mingling with the rustling of the 

 grasses and the murmurs of the shrubbery that 

 burden the passing breeze. The birds will some- 

 times mount a fence for a song, but on the least 

 alarm descend and run through the grass, like 

 mice. Savannas leave us early in September. 

 The Tree Sparrow ( Spezella monticola) is a 

 handsome Sparrow with a chestnut crown and an 

 ashy - white breast. Like the Fox Sparrow and 

 the White -crowned Sparrow, it is but a wayward 



