FIELD-SPARROW. 



SPIZELLA PTJSILLA. 



THIS sparrow, less common than the song or the 

 chipping sparrow, resembles these in appearance 

 and habits. He is not so social, preferring the fields and 

 pastures and bushy lots. When Wilson wrote, " None of 

 our birds have been more imperfectly described than the 

 family of the finch tribe usually called sparrows," he 

 wrote well ; but when he wrote of this one, " It has no 

 song," he brought himself under his own criticism. And 

 when Dr. Coues, on the contrary, describes him as- " very 

 melodious, with an extensive and varied score to sing 

 from," and further, as possessing " unusual compass of 

 vocal powers," he much better describes the song sparrow. 

 The field sparrow is surely a fine singer, and he may 

 have several songs. I have heard him in one only; 

 but that one, though short, it would be hard to equal. 

 As a scientific composition it stands nearly if not quite 

 alone. Dr. Coues quotes Mr. Minot on the singing of 

 this bird. "They open with a few exquisitely modu- 

 lated whistles, each higher and a little louder than 

 the preceding, and close with a sweet trill." The 

 song does begin with two or three well-separated tones, 

 or " whistles," if you please, but I discover no mod- 

 ulation, nor is each higher than the preceding, the open- 



