10 NOUTII AMERICAN BIRDS. 



of llii'ac birils, tlio I'oiiialo, I'roiii coining down to the ground to be fed witli 

 cninilis, soon liiarni'd to take tlieui on the thit branch of tlie lir near her nest, 

 and at last to feed from my hand, and al'tcrwards from that of otlior members 

 of the family, ifor mate, all the while, was com])arativcly siiy and distrust- 

 ful, and could not be induced to receive his food from us or to eat in our 

 l^vcscnce. 



This Sparrow is also quite .social, keeping on good terms and delighting 

 to associate with other s])ecies. Since tlie introduction of the European 

 House Sparrow into ISoston, I have repeatedly noticed it associating with 

 them in tlie most friendly relations, feeding with them, flying up with them 

 wiien disturoed, and imitating all tlieir movements. 



Tlie (Jlii])ping S])anow has very sligiit claims to be regarded as one of our 

 song-birds. Its note of complaint or uneasiness is a simple ehip, and its 

 song, at its Itest, is Init a monotonous repetition of a single note, sounding 

 like the rapid striking together of two small jiebldes. In the bright days of 

 June this unjiriitending ditty is kept up incessantly, hours at a time, with 

 only rare intermissions. 



The nest of this bird is always in trees or bushes. I have in no instance 

 known of its being built on the ground. Even at the Arctic regions, where 

 so many of our tree-builders vary from this custom to nest on the ground, 

 no exceptional cases are reported in regard to it, all its nests being upon 

 trees or in bushes. Tliese are somewhat rudely built, often so loosely that 

 they may readily bo seen througli. E.xternally they are made of coai'se 

 stems of grasses and vegetable In'auches, and lined with the hair of the 

 larger animals. 



These birds are de\'oted parents, and express great solicitude whenever 

 their nests are approached or meddled with. They feed their young almost 

 exclusively with tlie larva; of insects, especially with young caterpillars. 

 When in neighliorlioods infested with the destructive canker-worm, they will 

 feed their young with this pest in incredible numbers, and seek thera froiu a 

 considerable (listanc(\ Living in a district excm])t from tiiis scourge, yet but 

 shortly removed from tliem, in the summer of 18(19, I noticed one of these 

 S^jarrows with its mouth filled with something which inconvenienced it to 

 carry. It alighted on the gravel walk to adjust its load, and passed on to its 

 nest, leaving two canker-worms behind it, which, if not thus detected, would 

 have inlroduced this nuisance into an orchard that had previously cscajjcd, 

 showing that though friends to those afflicted they are dangerous to tlieir 

 neighl)ors. This Sparrow is also the frequent nurse of the Cow Ulackbird, 

 rearing its young to the destruction of its own, and tending them with 

 exemplary Kdelity. 



Tlieir eggs, five in number, are of an oblong-oval shape, and vary greatly 

 in size. They are of a bluish-green color, and are sparingly spotted about 

 the larger end with markings of umber, purple, and dark hlackish-brown, 

 intermingled with lighter shadings of faint purple. The largest specimen 



