142 BIRDS OF OHIO. 



Frequently when first flushed they utter a rapid rattHng 

 note." To this we can fully agree. 



The first severe winter weather marks their appearance^ 

 which is about the first of December, in the vicinity of Ober- 

 lin. I have seen flocks as late as April 23. 



The food is chiefly weed and grass seed and grain, with 

 a little insect food intermingled, even in winter. The birds 

 are strictly beneficial. 



196. (540.) PocECETES GRAMiNEUs (Gmcl.). 95. 

 Vesper Sparrow. 



Synonyms: Pcecsetes gramineus, Fringilla graminea. 



Bay-winged Bunting, Grass Finch, Gray-bird, Vesper-bird, 

 Ground-bird. 

 Kirtland, Ohio Geol. Surv., 1838, 164. 



This is our common "Ground Sparrow" so called. It 

 do€s not disdain a perch on a fence, nor even a tree, but 

 is more often found skulking or running on the ground in 

 the grass. The first part of its song is a weak imitation of 

 Meadowlark's usual song. The bird may be readily recog- 

 nized by its two white outer tail feathers. 



The food of the Vesper Sparrow varies with the season. 

 While it remains in the state it eats more insects than vege- 

 table matter, but during the winter it eats seeds and grain 

 almost exclusively. During the warmer part of the suriimer 

 its diet is 90 per cent, insect. A large part of the grain eaten 

 is undoubtedly gleaned from the stubble, and would be 

 wasted if the sparrow did not find it, or spring up in next 

 year's cornfield only to make trouble. The good done in 

 the destruction of injurious insects is greater than that of any 

 other sparrow. Add to this the weed seeds destroyed dur- 

 ing the autumn and you have a strong case for this sparrow. 



Vesper Sparrow reaches Oberlin during the last week in 

 March, and is common on the day of arrival, singing lus- 

 tily. In a few days the numbers have greatly increased un- 

 til almost every other bird seen is of this species. They lit- 

 erally swarm over the fields and pastures. As the migra- 

 tions progress the numbers are reduced somewhat, but all 



