300 USEFUL BIRDS. 



consists of small fruit, mostly wild, four per cent, of grain, 

 mostly waste, picked up in the fields, while fifty per cent, 

 of the entire food of the year is composed of the seeds of 

 weeds. Dr. Judd remarks that the chief value of this bird 

 as a seed-eater lies in its habit of eating the seeds of polyg- 

 onum ; these seeds are not so much eaten by other birds. 

 But the Song Sparrow eats the seed of chickweed, purslane, 

 sorrel, dandelion, and dock, all of which are common in 

 Massachusetts gardens. More than half the grass seed eaten 

 belongs to such troublesome species as crab grass and pigeon 

 grass. Witch grass and barnyard grass are among the seeds 

 that are often freely eaten by this useful bird. 



The Song Sparrow sometimes learns to come about the 

 door for crumbs. A pair built a nest on the ground in our 

 garden ; but a cat found it. Then a nest was built in a bush ; 

 this suffered a fate like the first. Then the birds went up 

 high among the thick sprouts on the trunk of an elm, built 

 another nest, and reared their young in safety. They were 

 wiser in their way than men, who, in spite of their superior 

 intelligence, continue to build their homes on the shores of 

 rivers which periodically overflow their banks, or on the 

 slopes of volcanoes that occasionally burn or bury cities. 



The Song Sparrow is a bird to cultivate. Friendly, 

 cheery, musical, harmless, gentle, useful, what more can 

 be desired? 



Slate-colored Junco. Black Snowbird. 

 Junco hy emalis 



Length. About six and one-fourth inches. 



Adult Male. In winter, all upper parts, and lower parts from chin to breast, 

 dark slaty-gray ; lower breast and belly white ; two outer tail feathers and 

 part of third white ; bill pinkish-white, blackish at tip. 



Adult Female. Similar, but lighter, and usually more rusty. 



Young. Browner, and slightly streaked ; throat and breast paler. 



Nest. On ground. 



Eggs. "White, spotted with brown. 



Season. Resident, but most common in spring and fall. 



The Snowbird does not often breed in Massachusetts, ex- 

 cepting on the higher lands of the north-central and western 

 parts of the State. Pairs are said to nest occasionally in 

 ice houses, which are certainly cool, if not suitable situa- 

 tions. It is a bird of the Canadian fauna, and it winters 

 in Massachusetts wherever conditions are favorable. In the 



