March 
from which they gather much of their food, often 
alighting too upon weeds and bushes in search 
of seeds, but rarely found in trees for that pur- 
pose, resorting thither chiefly to rest or sing or to 
escape danger. They areall small birds, mostly 
from six to seven inches long, and for the most 
part in the rather homely garb of grayish-brown 
streaked with a darker shade. This prevailing 
color makes them easily distinguishable from 
all other species, but difficult of identification 
one from another, a difficulty that is increased 
by their great uniformity of size. 
As songsters many of them are worthless, 
and some are quite pleasing, but none of them 
notable (unless it be the fox sparrow, which is 
quite on the verge of greatness), the best of them 
being characterized by simplicity rather than 
depth and magnificence, and perhaps the status 
of the finest sparrow-vocalists would be correct- 
ly defined by calling them ‘ ballad-singers.’’ 
One of the most pleasing, the song sparrow, 
certainly wins his universal approval quite as 
much by his heartiness and enthusiasm as by 
his vocal ability. ) 
One of the advantages of studying birds in 
spring is that they are then most intensely them- 
81 
