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Song spairow {Melospiza fasciata.) 



It may be recognized by its streikei breast with a dark blotch in the centre. The 

 crown of the head is brown with a grey Hne through the centre and a greyish hne 

 over the eye. It Uves mostly on the seeds of weeds, but in July takes a good deal 

 of wild fruit. It also feeds on grasshoppers, moths and weevils. 



The Vesper Sparrow^ Poocoetes graminis, is common in fields. It may be 

 known by its rather dull, unstreaked head and the white outer tail feathers which 

 may be seen when the bird is flushed. Its food is much like that of the song spar- 

 row. The Chipping Sparrow, Spizella socialis, is common in gardens and lawns 

 and may be distinguished by its unstreaked breast and reddish-brown crown. 

 Other common brown-streaked sparrows are, the Savanna, Passerculus sandwich- 

 ensis savanna, which frequents fields ; the White-Throated Sparrow, Zonotrichia 

 albicollis, a bird of the woodland, and the Swamp Sparrrow, ^lelospiza georgiana. 

 Much less common than those are the Acadian Sharp-Tailed Sparrow, Ammo- 

 dramus nelsoni subvirgatus, found on the marshes of the eastern part of the Pro- 

 vince, and the Field Sparrow, Spizella pusilla. The Tree Sparrow is a common 

 winter visitant, and during the spring and fall migrations the Fox Sparrow, Pas- 

 serella iliaca, and the White-Crowned Sparrow, Zonotrichia lecophrys, are some- 

 times not rare. 



The Junco, Junco hyemahs, is very common. It may be recognized by the 

 upper parts being slate colored and the white outer tail feathers conspicuous when 

 the bird is on the wing. Its effect on agricultural land is an unmixed benefit, as 

 it .destroys the seeds of weeds and does no real harm. 



Other common birds belonging to the sparrow family are, the Purple Finch, 

 Carpodacus purpureus ; the Goldfinch, Astragalinus tristis, and the Rose- 

 Breasted Grcsbeak, Habia ludoviciana. 



