CHAPTER XVIII. 



April 23 April 29. 



THE SONG SPARROW. 



Order Passeres. Suborder Oscines. 



Family Fringillidse Genus Melospiza. 



Species Melospiza fasciata. 



Length 6.00 to 6.75 ; wing, 2.45 to 2.80 ; tail, 2.58 to 3.02. 

 Migration North, March ; south, November. 



"By the road in early spring, 

 Always hopefully you sing; 

 It may rain or it may snow, 

 Sun may shine or wind may blow, 

 Still your dainty strain we hear 



'Cheer cheer 



Never, never fear, 



May will soon be here.' 

 Darling little prophet that you are!" 



In his Birds of North America, Mr. Robert Ridgeway 

 describes one hundred and forty-four species and sub-species 

 of sparrows. These are small birds of the ground or not 

 far from it that find elevated perches for rest and song. As 

 a rule, they are brown and gray with striped upperparts and 

 lighter colors beneath. The males and females are alike in ap- 

 pearance. Their neutral colors are a means of protection to 

 them in the exposed situation which they inhabit. Their 

 flight is labored. They have stout, conical bills admirably 

 adapted to crushing weed seeds, and because of this they are 

 among our most useful birds. 



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