FllINGILLID.E — THE FINCHES. 21 



Tlio tido of retuniinii- emijxrutinn Lc^'iiis to sot sontliward early in Oetnlior. 

 ('(illuctiii,^' ill small looso Hocks, iirolial)ly all of each ^i')!!)) nuMiilicrs of tlic 

 saiiio faiiiily, tlicy slowly move towards the south. As one set jiasses nn, 

 another succeeds, until the latter ])art oi' November, when we no lonj,'('r meet 

 ^vitll Hocks, hut solitary iiidiviihtals or <,'roni)s of two or three. Tiiese are 

 usually a larger and stouter race, and almost suggest a different specties. 

 They arc ol'ten in song even into Decenihei-. They ap])arently do not go 

 far, and are the firSu to return. In early March they are in full song, and 

 their notes seem louder, clearer, and more vibratory than those that come to 

 US and remain to breed. 



The Song Sparrow, as its name implies, is one of our most noted and con- 

 spicuous singers. It is at once our earliest and our latest, as also our 

 most constant musician. Its song is somewhat brief, but is rejjeated at short 

 intervals, almost throughout the days of spring and earl}' summer. It some- 

 what resembles the ojiening notes of the Canary, and though less resonant 

 and powerful, much surpasses them in sweetness and expression. Plain and 

 homely as this bird is in its outward garb, its sweet song and its gcuitle con- 

 fiding manners render it a welcome visitor to every garden, and around every 

 rural home wherein such attractions can be api)reciated. "Whenever these 

 birds are kindly treated they readily make friends, and are attracted to our 

 doorsteps for the welcome crumbs that are thrown to them ; and they will 

 return, year after year, to the same locality, whenever thus encouraged. 



The song of this Sparrow varies in different individuals, and often changes, 

 in the same liird, in different parts of the year. It is even stated by an 

 ol)serving naturalist — Mr. Charles S. Paine, of Pandolph, Vt. — that he has 

 known tiie same bird to sing, in succession, nine (mtirely different sets of 

 notes, usually uttering them one after the other, in the same order. This was 

 noticed not merely once or during one season, Init through three successive 

 summers. The .same bird returned each season to his grounds, and came 

 each time provided with the same variety of airs. 



Mr. Xuttall, who dwells with much force upon the beauty and earnestness 

 of expression of the song of this species, has also noticed and remarked 

 upon the power of individuals to vary tlitiir song, from time to time, with 

 very agreeable effect, but no one has recorded ,0 remarkable an instance as 

 that thus carefully noted by Mr. Paine. 



These birds are found in almost any cultivated locality where the grounds 

 are sufiiciently open. They jirefer tlu; edges of open fit'lds, and those of 

 meadows anil low grounds, but are rarely found in woods or in thick bushes, 

 except near their outer edges. They nest naturally on the ground, and in such 

 situations a large majority build their nests. These are usually the younger 

 birds. A portion, almost always birds of several sum.ners, probably taught 

 by sad experiences of the in.security of the grr -d, build in bu.slics. A jiair 

 which had a nest in an adjoining field had been robbed, l)y a cat, of their 

 young when just about to fly. After nuich lamentation, and aii interval of a 



