Family Fringillidce Slate-colored Junco 105 



semblance to that of the canary; it has, however, 

 many variations so different that they might well be 

 attributed to several different species. The song 

 sparrow is one of our very early spring songsters, 

 coining next after the bluebird. In the neighbor- 

 hood of New York he begins about the middle of 

 February, and continues with varying vigor into 

 November, sometimes to the very end of the month. 

 In the beginning his song is feeble and indetermi- 

 nate, but by early March it acquires its full tone. 



LITERATURE : 



A Year with the Birds. WILSON FLAGG. 



53. SLATE-COLORED JUNCO ; BLACK SNOWBIRD 



( Jn n co Jiyeni a Us . ) 



Upper parts, throat and breast blackish ash ; tail with white outer 

 feathers; belly white, its sides shaded with ashy. Beak coni- 

 cal, flesh color; feet light brown. Bird about the size of a spar- 

 row, but with longer tail. Sexes similar, save that in the female 

 the ash has a brownish tinge. 



THIS well-known little bird may be recognized at 

 once from the dark color and the white outer tail 

 feathers. The sudden change from the slate; of the 

 breast to the white of the belly suggests the fancy 

 that he was sitting on his nest " when God painted 

 him." He comes to us in September, and remains 



