WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW. is 
trary, are erect, dignified looking birds, and raise 
their dark rufous caps with much more effect than 
chippy ever does. They differ from him, too, in 
having the lower part of their backs unstriped, in 
having rusty washings on the sides of their ashy 
breasts, and a dusky spot in the centre of the 
breast similar to the song sparrow’s breastpin. 
Their song, though thinner than that of the song 
‘sparrow, is sweet and pleasing. 
LVI. 
WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW. 
DuRING migration the white-crowns generally 
keep by themselves, though sometimes they may 
be seen in flocks of white-throated sparrows, so it 
is well to inspect each bird carefully. The crown 
will enable you to discriminate between them, for 
in the white-crown the marking gives more the 
effect of a soldier’s cap, the bands of clear white 
encircling the back of the head. This adds to 
the distinguished air of the bird, which, with his 
clearer grays and browns, his more shapely figure 
and erect carriage, soon become enough to mark 
him in themselves. For, as the great-crested fly- 
catcher overshadows the plebeian phcebe, the 
white -crowned sparrow is the aristocrat of his 
family. But besides all this he lacks the yellow 
seen on the head of the white-throat, and the 
