368 White-throated Sparrow 



freshness that is truly delightful. Many writers have tried to interpret 

 its song and tell us in English what the bird is saying when it sits upon 

 the pine-top and whistles away for half an hour at a time. Mr. Stansell, 

 of Alberta, for example, tells us that the call to his mind strongly sug- 

 gests the words "Oh see me me me me me." A very common render- 

 ing of its song is given as "Old Sam Peabody, Peabody, Peabody." 

 tt tt There are many variations of this last translation, 



6 Son V in a11 f which the word " Peab ody" is prominent; 

 hence long ago the custom arose of calling it the 

 Peabody Bird. A Nova Scotian variant is "Joe Kennedy Bird." 



On the other hand, probably more Canadians know it as the 

 "Sweet-Canada Bird," for they are thoroughly convinced that when the 

 Sparrow sings it says "Swe-e-et Can-a-da, Can-a-da, Can-a-da." Wil- 

 liam Hamilton Gibson relates the incident of a perplexed farmer named 

 Pe.verly, who did not know what to plant until he heard a Whitethroat 

 sing, "Sow wheat, Pev-er-ly, Pev-er-ly, Pev-er-ly." 



It is rather easy to whistle an imitation of the Whitethroat's notes, 

 and so much curiosity does the bird possess that often it will come from 

 a distance at the call, and chirp and look and crane its neck with the 

 liveliest interest. Comparatively few birds that will do this. The Bob- 

 White will come if called by an expert, and in spring or summer almost 

 anyone can gather a number of small birds around them in the woods 

 by merely sucking the back of the hand, thus making a squeaking noise. 

 In this case the birds show evidence of alarm and concern, for such a 

 sound is a fair imitation of a baby bird in distress. 



The White-throated Sparrow is quite a handsome bird. With the 



exception of the Fox Sparrow bird-students would perhaps vote it the 



handsomest species of the Eastern States. It is six 



A Handsome an( j three-quarters inches long, which is one and a 

 quarter inches longer than the Chipping Sparrow, 

 but the Chipping Sparrow is much more slender. 



The nest is usually built on or near the ground. It is made of 

 grasses, grape-vine stems and other substances of a similar character. 

 The lining is usually of fine grasses, although at times feathers, deer- 

 hair, or rabbit-fur is used as a soft bed for the eggs. These range 

 from four to five in number, and their pale green ground-color is thickly 

 marbled with various shades of chocolate and brown. 



Classification and Distribution 



The White-throated Sparrow belongs to the Order Passeres, and to the Family 

 Fringillidce. Its scientific name is Zonotrichia albicollis. It ranges throughout 

 eastern North America, breeding from the region of the Great Lakes and north- 

 ern New England northward to northern Quebec and the southern borders of 

 Alaska; and wintering from central Missouri, the Ohio Valley and southern New 

 England southward to Florida and northeastern Mexico. 



This and other Educational Leaflets are for sale, at 5 cents each, by the National Association of 

 Audubon Societies, 1974 Broadway, New York City. Lists given on request. 



