THE BACHMAN SPARROW. 81 
the young birds was easily caught and its picture taken both in the hand and 
in the nest, as shown in the accompanying illustrations. A few days later 
Ralph and Will Bumgardner took a set of four eggs from the ground in 
the same meadow. ‘The eggs were pure white and could hardly have be- 
longed to any other than this species. 
The song of the Bachman Sparrow is a thing of surpassing beauty. 
In delivering it the bird chooses a prominent station at the top of weed-stalk, 
fence-post, or sapling, or stands well out on a bare limb of a tree. Here he 
throws his head back and draws, as it appears, a full breath, in a note of 
ravishing sweetness; then sends it forth again in a tinkling trill of uniform 
or varied notes. Nothing can 
excel the fine poetic rapture 
of the inspirated note. It 
sets the veins a-tingle and 
makes one wish to put his 
shoes from off his feet. The 
characteristic opening note is 
given with constantly vary- 
ing pitch and__ intensity. 
Sometimes it sounds like a 
dream voice floating gently 
from the summer land of 
youth, and again it vibrates 
with startling distinctness 
like a present call to duty. 
Occasionally a dainty trill is 
substituted for this inspired 
and inspiring opening, while , 
the remainder of the song © 
may consist of a half dozen 
notes precisely alike, or of a 
succession of groups three or 
four in number. There is a 
soulful quality, an ethereal 
purity, and a caressing sweet- 
ness about the whole per- Zaken near 
. hl Photo by the 
4 Sugar Grove Author. 
formance which makes one 
sure the door is opened into A NES? SITE. 
the third heaven of bird THE NEST MAY BE MADE OUT WHERE THE PRINCIPAL STALKS 
=e FE SROUN NVERGE. 
music. IN THE FOREGROUND CONVERGE 
