THE FIELD SPARROW. 



75 



Plains, south to the Gulf States and Texas. Breeds from South Carolina, south- 

 ern Illinois, and Kansas northward. 



Range in Ohio. Common summer resident. 



OF plainer appearance even than the Chipping Sparrow, this humble 

 wayside bird excels in song. Its trill is generically related to that of the other 

 bird, but its notes are purest music. Tew, tew, tew, the first three or four 

 notes come full and clear, but then comes a rapid accelerando through which 

 they swiftly pass into a delicious trill, and so fade out. The tones are tender 

 and sweet, and possess a subtle spiritual quality which lifts them out of the 

 realm of common things. One never quite gets over wondering at the excess- 

 ive plainness of the singer in contrast with the exalted sentiment he utters. 

 It is as tho a clod took voice and a soul escaped in song. 



Within certain pretty clearly defined limits the Field Sparrow's song is 

 capable of great individual variation. Thus it becomes comparatively easy to 

 distinguish a half dozen birds in a field by their songs alone. In some the 

 opening notes are prolonged, as, Heew, he-ezv, he-ew, he-ew, hew, hew, hew, 

 hcheceeee. In others they are distinctly doubled and have the accent trans- 

 ferred to the second syllable, Tu-eet' , tu-eet', tu-eet', tu-eet ', weet, iveet, weet, 

 TR. One individual heard in August differed from all others in the neighbor- 

 hood in having such a double note, Cher-ie, cher-ie, cher-ie, tew, tew, etc. The . 

 following spring the singer returned to the same station, and two others about 

 a hundred yards away developed the same peculiarity. It is fair to suppose 

 that these last were children of the first. 



THE NEST SHOW 



fhoto by the Author. 

 A NESTING SITE. 



N THE PRECEDING ILLUSTRATION OCCUPIES A 

 ., POSITION IN THE MAIN TUSSOCK. 



