36 WEST VIRGINIA [W. VA. 



Geog. Dist. Chiefly eastern North America, west to the Plains, 

 north to Labrador and the Fur Countries, 



W. Va. Dist. Of common occurrence in October and April. At 

 times it becomes very abundant, and is to be seen in large flocks 

 about briar fields and in open woodland. 



Nest On the ground or in bushes. Breeds in the northern states 

 and northward as far as Labrador. 



Food Dr. Judd says that ragweed seed constitutes 45 per cent of 

 their food in October. Very fond of the seeds of polygonum. 



560. Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina) . Male and female. 

 This is a well-known bird. 



Geog. Dist. Eastern North America, west to the Rocky Moun- 

 tains, north to Great Slave Lake and Newfoundland, and south to 

 Mexico, breeding from the Gulf States northward. 



W. Va. Dist. Very common about all farms, orchards, and even 

 within the towns and cities. 



Nest The nesting habits of this little bird are known to all. 

 Eggs four or five, bluish with black markings. 



Food Weed seeds, especially crab grass and dandelion seeds; 

 occasionally a little fruit; many insects. The Chippy feeds very 

 largely in the spring and early summer on small caterpillars. 

 One observer saw a Chipping Sparrow eat 54 canker-worms at one 

 sitting. Particularly fond of such destructive species as the gipsy 

 and brown-tail caterpillars; codling moth, tent caterpillar, forest 

 tent caterpillar, and currant worms; devours three species of Iarva3 

 that feed on cabbage plants. 



563. Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla) . Male and female. This 

 species must be carefully distinguished from the preceding. A bird 

 of old fields and woodland. In musical ability it far exceeds its 

 more domestic cousin, the Chippy. Indeed, of all the good singers 

 in the large sparrow family, there are few that surpass this plain 

 little bird in sweetness of song. 



Geog. Dist. Eastern United States and Southern Canada. 



W. Va. Dist. Common in every part of the state that the writer 

 has visited, excepting the higher mountain regions. 



Nest On the ground or in low bushes. A favorite nesting place 

 in this section is in a bunch of Virginia Beard-grass ("Broom- 

 sedge"). 



