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NATURAL HISTORY OF VERMONT. 



Part I. 



THE BLUE SNOW BIRD. 



THE TREE AND CHIPPING SPARROWS. 



THE BLUE SNOW-BIRD. 



FringWa hytmaUs . — Linn^us. 



Description. General color dark 



brownish ash, or bluish slate above and on 

 the breast ; belly white ;. feathers on the 

 back slightly tinged with ferruginous ; 

 wings and central tail feathers dark slate; 

 outer tail feather on each side pure white, 

 and the next white wholly or in part ; 

 tail forked, the lateral feathers curving- 

 outward towards the tip ; bill short, acute; 

 bill, legs and feet brownish in summer, 

 pale flesh-color in winter; claws slender 

 and compressed. Female and young ixng- 

 ed with brown. Length 6 inches, spread 

 of the wings 9 inches. 



History. — Tliis is one of our most 

 common and numerous species, and in 

 the sprino- and autumn they are met with 

 in every part of the state. Late in the 

 fall they mostly migrate to the south, and 

 in tlie early part of summer they mostly 

 retire from the low lands either beyond 

 the limits of the slate to the north, or to 

 the central mountainous districts for the 

 purpose of rearing their young. They 

 breed in large numbers in all the moun- 

 tain towns, through the whole length of 

 the state. The nest is built upon the 

 ground i)y tlie side of a rock, stump, tuft 

 of grass, or in the side of a dry bank, and 

 is composed of small sticks and wither- 

 ed grass. The eggs, from 3 to 5, are 

 of a pale green, brushed and spotted 

 with darker. They breed in small 

 numl)ers in the low lands in this state. I 

 found one of their nests in Burlington, 

 near Winooski river, on the 27th of 

 July, containing 3 young nearly fledged. 

 The most common note of this bird is a 

 sharp chip, and hence it is often called 

 the Chipping Bird, or Blue Chipping 

 Jilrd. 



THE TREE SPARROW. 



Friiigilln canadensis. — Latham. 

 Description. -Crown of the head bright 

 bay, sliglitly mottled with ash color; a 

 stripe over the eye, white at its commence- 

 ment near the bill, and backwards fading 

 into pale ash ; sides of the neck, chin and 

 breast pale ash ; on the centre of the 

 breast an obscure dark spot : from the 

 lower angle of the bill and behind the eye 

 proceeds a small stripe of chestnut ; back 

 varied with black, bay, brown and drab; 

 wings marked with two wliite bars; outer 

 feathers edged with white, inner with pale 

 brown ; bill black, yellowish beneath ; 

 tail forked, feathers black, edged with 

 white; vent white; legs slender, dusky 

 brown; feet black. Length of specimen 

 before me G inches ; spread 9 inches. 



History. — This beautiful little sparrow 

 is a winter resident in Vermont. It ar- 

 rives in flocks from the north about the 

 first of November, and proceeds again 

 northerly about the first of April. During 

 the winter these sparrows are often seen 

 in flocks by themselves or in company 

 with the snow buntings, gathering their 

 scanty pittance of seeds from the weeds 

 which rise above the snow in our fields 

 and gardens. They are sometimes seen 

 seeking shelter, in the midst of woods, 

 from the winds and storms. Some of 

 them rear their young in Vermont, but 

 the greater part breed farther north, in 

 the neighborhood of Hudson's Bay. They 

 build their nest among the herbage, with 

 mud and dry grass, and line it with hair 

 or down. They lay 4 or 5 eggs at a lit- 

 ter, which are of a pale brown, spotted 

 with darker color. 



THE CHIPPING SPARROW. 



Fringilla socialis. — Wii.s. 



Description. — Frontlet nearly black ; 

 crown bright chestnut ; back varied with 

 brownish-black, ash and bay ; vi'ings and 

 tail dark chestnut brown ; line over the 

 eye, chin and vent white ; breast and 

 sides of the neck pale ash ; rump dark 

 ash ; bill blackish above, dark flesh-color 

 below ; legs and feet slender, pale flesh- 

 color ; hind nail a little shorter tiian the 

 toe; first four primaries nearly equal; 

 tail forked, reaching 1;^ inch beyond the 

 folded wings. Length 5 inches, spread 

 of the wings 7^ inches. 



History. — Of all our sparrows this is 

 the most familiar and most common. It 

 breeds abundantly in every part of the 

 state, and seems to take much pains to 

 place its nest as near as possible to our 

 dwellings, or close by the side of the most 

 frequented walks in our yards and gar- 

 dens. Sometimes it is placed upon a 

 lilach or other shrub so near to a window 

 as to be easily reached with the hand. 

 The female will sit upon her nest with 

 apparent unconcern while people are al- 

 most constantly passing and repassing 

 within 2 or 3 feet of her. The nest is 

 rather slight, and always composed, inter- 

 nally, of hair, and hence it is often called 

 the Hair Bird. The eggs, 4 or 5, are 

 bright greenish blue, with a few spots of 

 brown of different shades. They usually 

 raise two or three broods in a season. 



THE FIELD, OR RUSH SPARROW. 



FringiVa juncorum. — Nutt. 

 Description. — Above varied with bay, 

 drab and dusky ; crown chestnut; cheeks 



