BIRDS OF MINNESOTA 345 
Dr. Hvoslef found them on ‘‘ North Prairie, June 19th, 1883 
setting on a newly plowed field.” The same gentleman met 
them again on the 11th of May, 1884, at Lanesboro. 
This species seems to be more capricious in its choice of lo- 
calities from year to year, than any other of the fringilline 
birds. 
They arrive in spring about the middle of May, but vary the 
time somewhat in different years. They are recognized by 
their song. 
Describing the songs of some species so as to convey a very 
good idea to an attentive, enlisted person is quite possible, if 
they are bold, and strongly characteristic, but with the Black- 
throated Sparrow, as with many others equally unpretentious, 
it isreally a very difficult task. However, Dr. Coues has ap- 
proximated it more nearly than any other in the words: 
‘*Look! look! see me here! see!” repeated frequently in a 
rather weak voice but quite spirited manner. His at- 
titude almost perpendicular, wings and tail deflected, opened 
bill pointing skyward, he throws his whole soul into an effort 
worthy of higher results as he reveals his form against the 
background of sky or cloud from the top of some bush, on the 
tip of the tallest limb of a small sized tree. He is really a very 
pretty if not quite beautiful bird. 
The nest is variously located on the ground, in a tussock of 
grass, on a bush, and sometimes in a tree five or six feet from 
the ground, and consists of coarse grass externally, lined with 
finer inside. and generally finished with horse-hair. The eggs, 
four or five innumber, like Lark Bunting’s, so resemble those of 
the Bluebirds that I cannot satisfactorily differentiate them. 
They begin their southward movement very quietly about the 
20th of September, although all are not gone before the second 
or third week in October. At this time they are much aggre- 
gated in number and are found commonly on the high prairies 
I confess my inability to get as much melody out of this spccies 
as does the Rev. Mr. Langille, or even as much ‘‘chic-chic-chélac”’ 
as does he,—I suspect that either his observations, or his de- 
scription of the bird in northern Ohio, which he first saw and 
heard ‘‘one evening at sunset,” had been preceded by an excep- 
tionally good cup of tea, for I have lent that warbler my best, 
sharpest and longest ears, with no such return for their use. 
Indeed, while blessed with a fairly available imagination when 
listening to melody, I confess that even Dr. Cones’ formulation 
of ‘‘Look! look! see me here! see!” is a little straining to it, 
