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- 

 formance which makes one 

 sure the door is opened into 



Photo by the 

 Author. 



the third 

 music. 



heaven of bird 



THE NEST MAY 



A NEST SITE. 



E MADE OUT WHERE THE PKI 

 THE FOREGROUND CONVERGE 



