304: FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 



of the song which will apply throughout the bird's range. However, 

 an average song consists of the syllables cMr-wee, cher-ivee, cher-wee, 

 cher-wee, cJiee-o, de-de-de-de-de, the last notes joined in a trill. 



This gives, of course, no idea of the quality of the Field Sparrow's 

 song, but to be convinced of its rare beauty one need only hear it as 

 the sun goes down and the hush of early evening is quieting the earth. 



The Western Field Sparrow (56Sa. Spizella pusilla arenacea) has been 

 recorded from the vicinity of New Orleans. 



567* Junco hyemalis (Z^'ww.). Junco; Snowbird. Ad. t- — Upper 



parts, throat, and breast grayish slate-color; upper parts more or less washed 

 with grayish bi'own; belly white, sides grayish ; no wing-bars; tail fuscous, 

 the two outer feathers and part of the third white ; bill liesh-color. Ad. $ . — 

 Similar, but the upper parts browner, throat and breast paler. Young in 

 first plumage resemble the adults, but have the upper parts, throat, and 

 breast streaked with black. L., 6-27 ; W., 3-03 ; T., 2-71 ; B., -41. 



Range. — North America; breeds from northern Minnesota and northern 

 New York northward and southward along the summits of the Alleghanies 

 to Virginia; winters southward to the Gulf States. 



Washington, abundant W. V., Oct. 5 to Apl. 25. Sing Sing, common W. 

 v., Sept. 19 to May 4. Cambridge, rather common W. V., abundant T. V., 

 Sept. 20 to Nov. 25 ; Mch. 20 to Apl. 20. 



Nest.^ of grasses, moss, and rootlets, lined with fine grasses and long hairs, 

 on or near the ground. Eggs., four to five, white or bluish white, finely and 

 evenly speckled or spotted, sometimes heavily blotched, at the larger end 

 with rufous-brown, -76 x -58. 



When the snow begins to fly-yon will look out some gray morning 

 to find a flock of small, plump, slate-colored birds hopping about the 

 dooryard, picking up what they can find, or sitting in the bushes with 

 an air of contentment that it is pleasant to see. 



Coming, as they do, when most of the home birds have left for the 

 south, they bring their own welcome, and soon seem like old friends. 

 But if you would really know your gentle winter visitors, you must 

 go back into the woods when summer comes and find them in their 

 own homes. 



Look for them in a tangle of fallen tree-tops, logs, and upturned 

 roots. A pair I once surprised in such a place at first sat and chirped 

 at me — with bills full of food — but soon they were flying freely back 

 and forth to the upturned root where they had hidden their nest. 



I noticed with surprise that their gray plumage toned in so well 

 with the dark earth that they were hard to see. The sharp horizontal 

 line across the breast where the gray turns abruptly to white added 

 to the disguise, the straight line breaking the round form of the bird. 



The Hsi'p of the Junco is unmistakable and more often heard than 



