THE INVITATION. 217 



sparrow is met with, and may be known by its fine, 

 insect-like song. In the swamp, the swamp-sparrow. 



The fox-sparrow, the largest and handsomest species 

 of this family, comes to us in the fall, from the North, 

 where it breeds. Likewise the tree or Canada sparrow, 

 and the white-crowned and white-throated sparrows. 



The social-sparrow, alias " hair-bird," alias " red- 

 headed chipping-bird," is the smallest of the sparrows, 

 and, I believe, the only one that builds in trees. 



The finches, as a class, all have short conical bills, 

 with tails more or less forked. The purple-finch heads 

 the list in varied musical ability. 



Beside the groups of our more familiar birds which 

 I have thus hastily outlined, there are numerous other 

 groups, more limited in specimens but comprising some 

 of our best known songsters. The bobolink, for in- 

 stance, has properly no congener. The famous mock- 

 ing-bird of the Southern States belongs to a genus 

 which has but two other representatives in the Atlan- 

 tic States, namely, the cat-bird and the long-tailed or 

 ferruginous thrush. 



The wrens are a large and interesting family, and as 

 songsters are noted for vivacity and volubility. The 

 more common species are the house-wren, the wood- 

 wren, the marsh-wren, the great Carolina wren, and the 

 winter-wren, the latter perhaps deriving its name from 

 the fact that it breeds in the North. It is an exquisite 

 songster, and pours forth its notes so rapidly and with 

 such sylvan sweetness and cadence, that it seems to go 

 off like a musical alarm. 



