THE LITTLE SONGSTERS. 115 



The song sparrows build their nests on the 

 ground or near it in a low dense bush. In the nest 

 there are usually four or five little white eggs, some- 

 times of a blue -gray tone, plentifully freckled with 

 rusty -red spots ; the birds often raise more than one 

 brood in a season. The plumage of the female is 

 scarcely different from that of the male. 



As for the pert, little chipping sparrow (Spizella 

 socialis\ I believe he commonly lives on the high- 

 way, and not very far, either, from some habitation. 

 He is, in truth, a sociable little creature who will 

 thankfully pick up as many crumbs as are spread for 

 him. I gave a little fellow his choice one morning of 

 some fat young cut worms and bits of dry bread. He 

 chose the latter and spurned the former, much to my 

 surprise, although from my own point of view the 

 worms were repulsive ; but between worms and crumbs 

 one would naturally think the bird's choice would fall 

 on the former. 



The chipping sparrow, I think, has no musical 

 voice ; the best he can do in the way of singing is to 

 utter a monotonous "chip," and a continuous, cres- 

 cendo ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-chip. But he 

 is a familiar character, often seen flitting along the 

 roadside among the stalks of goldenrod in summer 

 time, and, later on in the season, helping himself to 

 the seeds of the hardback (Spiraea tomentosa). He 



