OF NEW ENGLAND. 219 



being themselves in small flocks, though separate individuals 

 may now and then be seen. They feed almost entirely upon 

 seeds, which they pick up from the ground, but they are not 

 veiy quick in their movements. They are rather shy, and, 

 when frightened, usually fly to trees, not often perching at a 

 greater height than thirty feet above the ground. They are 

 not, however, so shy as never to come near houses, if they find 

 the precincts attractive, but they seem to be most bashful when 

 they sing. Unfortunately they do not sing very much in 

 spring, and, indeed, some naturalists have told me that they 

 have heard them utter here only their ordinary notes. In 

 summer, the "White-throats" inhabit northern New England 

 (or the countries beyond), as for instance Mount Desert or the 

 White Mountains. In both these places they frequent the 

 woodland, especially that of " light growth," or the spruce- 

 trees, and I have often heard them there near the tops of high 

 wooded hills. I say " heard them," for one rarely sees them, 

 because of their shyness. If I remember rightly, it is about 

 the first of August that they almost cease to sing ; and, as 

 autumn approaches, they show less attachment to their sum- 

 mer-haunts. It is in September that they again make their 

 appearance in Massachusetts, and, from the middle of that 

 month until the latter part of October, they are tolerably com- 

 mon, though a little irregularly so. In the autumn their habits 

 are much the same as in the spring, but they are rather less 

 gregarious. I have seen a solitary individual so late as the 

 fourteenth of November, and I have, moreover, occasionally 

 heard these birds sing during their fall-migrations. 



(d). The ordinary note of the White-throated Sparrows is 

 a rather feeble " tseep" much like that of the Fox-colored Spar- 

 rows, and indeed of other birds. Their song is sweet, clear, 

 and exquisitely delicate, consisting of whistled notes, which 

 have been likened to the words : " Old Sam Peabody, peabody, 

 peabody, peabody." 72 This song is often somewhat varied, 



"It usually begins with a note pitched at about D on the piano, followed by 

 one higher, which is succeeded by several triplets (2-5), each of which is pitched 

 a little lower than the preceding. It is sometimes prefaced by a few low twitters. 





