THE UNDERLYING IDEA 



79 



object of his affection. It must give him a shock to 

 see how often she proves temporarily or hypocriti- 

 cally indifferent to the demonstrative proceedings. In- 

 deed they may terminate in a thorough trouncing of 

 the male on the part of the lady of his affections. 

 Now this preference for color over song must have 

 evidently evolved in connection with the development 

 of social habits in the English sparrows. His cousins 

 of the fields, our native sparrows, are much less social, 

 much less likely to be met with in flocks. To birds 

 who scatter more, beautiful song is a great advantage. 

 It can be heard at a long distance. But when birds 

 flock together a much better advantage is that of beau- 

 tiful clothing, added to alluring ways. 



But we have not nearly exhausted the catalogue of 

 the traits belonging to our little friend which give 

 him the advantage over other birds in the struggle 

 for life. His ability to remain with us in winter when 

 most birds are gone stands him in good stead. 



It is readily observed by one who pays the least at- 

 tention to outdoor life that winter finds us with com- 

 paratively few birds. North of Maryland and the 

 Ohio River the robin is practically absent in the win- 

 ter, except in much diminished numbers close to the 

 border. The bluebird is similarly absent; the great 

 flocks of blackbirds are gone ; the bobolink is missing 

 entirely; the thrush and the catbird have all left; the 



