172 



THE SONG-SPARROW GOLDFINCH. 



THE SONG-SPARROW. 



THIS familiar and almost domestic bird is one of the most common 

 and numerous 

 Sparrows in the 

 United States ; 

 it is, also, with 

 the Blue-bird, 

 which it seems 

 to accompany, 

 one of the two 

 earliest, sweet- 

 est, and most 

 enduring war- 

 blers. Though 

 many pass on 

 to the Southern, 

 States at the 

 commencement 

 of winter, yet a 



few seem to brave the colds of New England, as long as the snowy 

 waste does not conceal their last resource of nutriment. When the 

 inundating storm at length arrives, they no longer, in the sheltering 

 swamps, and borders of bushy streams, spend their time in gleaning 

 an insufficient subsistence, but in the month of November, begin to 

 retire to the warmer States ; and here, on fine days, even in January, 

 whisper forth their usual strains. As early as the 4th of March, the 

 weather being mild, the Song-Sparrow and the Blue-Bird here jointly 

 arrive, and cheer the yet dreary face of nature with their familiar 

 songs. The latter flits restlessly through the orchard or neighboring 

 fields; the Sparrow, more social, frequents the garden, barn-yard, or 

 road-side in quest of support, and from the top of some humble bush, 

 stake, or taller bough, tunes forth his cheering lay, in frequent repeti- 

 tions, for half an hour or more at a time. These notes have some 

 resemblance to parts of the Canary's song, and are almost uninter- 

 ruptedly and daily delivered, from his coming to the commencement 

 %f winter. 



SI'ARIUAV ! 



THE GOLDFINCH. 



Goldfinches are very beautiful and well-known birds, much esteemed 

 for their docility, and the sweetness of their song. They are fond of 

 orchards, and frequently build their elegant mossy nest in an apple or 

 pear-tree. They commence this operation about the month of Apru, 

 when the fruit-trees are in blossom. As they excel nearly all our 

 small birds in beauty of plumage, so also they do in the art which 

 they employ in the formation of this structure. The nest is small its 



