84 THE SONG SPARROW. 
THERE, are those who do not know the Song Sparrow by sight or by 
name, but surely there are none, even tho dwellers in “‘sky-scrapers,’ who have 
not at some time in their lives heard the sweet strain of this modest bird. Scat- 
tered as it is throughout the length and breadth of our land, along the fence- 
rows and in the lowland thickets, but especially in the backyard shrubbery, 
unfortunate indeed must be the boy or girl who has not been cheered and 
made better, if only subconsciously, by this tender minstrel of common life. 
Perched upon some post or bush, he greets his childish listeners with “Peace, 
peace, peace be unto you, my children.” And that is his message to all the 
world, “Peace and good will.” 
Silver-tongue’s melody is like sunshine, bountiful and free and ever grate- 
ful. Even in winter the brave-hearted bird avails himself of the slightest pre- 
text,—an hour of sun- 
light or a rise of tem- 
perature—to mount a 
bush and rehearse his 
cheerful lay. The song 
is not continuous, but it 
is frequently repeated 
through periods of sey- 
eral minutes, and at in- 
tervals of nine or ten 
seconds. But there! 
Who could hope to sum 
up all the commonplace 
poetry and fond enspir- 
iting of Silver-tongue’s 
music by an estimate of 
intervals and seconds! 
It is of the soul and one 
Bie ee of the most sincere 
Henninger. things in nature. 
3ut no matter how 
gentle a bird’s disposi- 
tion may be, there is ample use, alack! for the note of warning and distrust. 
Song Sparrow’s scolding note, a single chip or chirp, is more musical than 
some, but still very earnest. In winter the resident birds deny themselves 
even this characteristic cry, and except for the occasional outbursts of full 
song, they are limited to a high nasal tss, quite indistinguishable from that 
of the Tree Sparrow, with which they are more or less associated through 
similarity of haunts. Song Sparrows are not really gregarious birds, but a 
wayside swamp which attracts one pair is as likely to support a dozen, while 
Taken 
mear : 
Tiffin. 
A GROUND NEST OF THE SONG SPARROW. 
