ORNITHOLOGIST AND BOTANIST. 



and planning for the coming season. 



It is well to study the geographical distribu- 

 tion of plants, and make out a list of plants you 

 "wish to collect for exchange. 

 If you wish to make foreign exchanges, find 

 out "what plants grow in your "vicinity that are 

 peculiar to America, and collect for that pur- 

 pose. All specimens should have roots, leaves, 

 buds and flowers, and a little later in the season 

 secure specimens of the same plants in fruit. 



TWO WHITE-BLAZED SPARROWS. 



BY NEIL FRANKLIN POSSON, MEDINA, N. Y. 



Shakespeare says " What's in a name ? " 



Surely the name of sparrow sounds common- 

 place enough, and naturally we don't expect 

 much from it. But how pleasantly are we sur- 

 prised sometimes when we find the name of 

 sparrow to be but another name for song and 

 beauty and sprightliness. Indeed, we can say 

 "with Shakespeare, after becoming acquainted 

 with the white-throated and white crowned spar- 

 rows, " What's in a name ? " 



Both of these birds occur in this county ( Or- 

 leans) as migrants, summering north of us and 

 wintering south of us. 



The white-throated sparrow ( Zonotrichia al- 

 bicolUs ) is much the more common of the two 

 and generally leads in the migration, arriving 

 quite a little earlier than his white-crowned 

 brother. 



The song of the white-throated sparrow is 

 heard in this locaHty for the first time about the 

 first day of May and becomes one of the most 

 common bird-songs for about a week, when he 

 pushes on toward his northern breeding home. 

 The song is a very pretty accomplishment in a 

 most pathetic and beautiful tone. Sounding the 

 first syllable of it's song on a note corresponding 

 to the fifth of the musical scale, the next is 

 given in the eighth, and, followed by three more 

 in the same key, the sorg erds just as one is get- 

 ting interested. The song, always ending with 

 a rising inflection, makes one think the bird was 

 suddenly interrupted in some way. 



In autumn, this bird tarries much longer. Ar- 

 riving from the north about the twentieth of 

 September, it remains until about the middle of 

 the following month. It's common autumn 

 note is a one-syllabled utterance represented 

 very nearly by the syllable " ping." At dusk, 

 every evening for a number of "weeks, a com- 

 pany of these birds retiring for the night among 



the trees of my garden, would give forth a mon- 

 otonous chorus of " pings;" and sometimes, after 

 their chorus had subsided and all was still, some 

 solitary member of the company, apparently de- 

 siring notoriety, would sound his voice, and so 

 set the chorus going again." 



Rev. J. H. Langille, in his book, " Our Birds 

 in Their Haunts," speaks of the song of the 

 white throat as a rarity in this locality, even in 

 the spring; but I consider it's song a common 

 occurrence in the spring and have a much 

 greater rarity to record, viz.- it's singing in the 

 fall. 



At several different times during the fall of 

 '89, I caught this bird in the act of trying to re- 

 call it's vernal lay, and it suceeded to the letter. 

 On one of these occasions I was somewhat 

 amused. Twice the bird tried to give it's song, 

 bnt it seemed to " stick in the throat;" then, 

 milking a special effort, the song came out plain 

 and clear and the bird seemed satisfied. 



The white-crowned sparrow ( Zonotrichia leu- 

 cophrys,) as I have already stated, is less plen- 

 tiful in this locality than the white-throat, and 

 for some reason or other, i seldom see him in 

 the fall, although in the spring he is quite com- 

 mon. 



His song is rather peculiar and decidedly 

 pleasing. Giving utterance to three clear, whis- 

 tling notes, he then closes bv sounding three 

 others of a jew's-harp tone in a lower key. 



And now from the narrative to the descript- 

 ive. Both of these sparrows are about six inches 

 in length, of an ash color beneath and a darker 

 brown above, and the wing-bars of both are 

 white. Their distinguishing characteristics are 

 the conspicuous white markings on throat and 

 and crown respectively. The large white spot 

 on the neck of albicollis is as conspicuous, and 

 catches the eye as quickly as a gaudy necktie 

 worn in a similar position by some fast and 

 showy fop. 



The crown of leuchophrys is pure white, bor- 

 dered on each side by jet black; and as he stands 

 sometimes with his white crest erect, he assumes 

 quite a jauntiness of mien. The white-throat also 

 has some white upon the head. However, it ap- 

 pears in the form of a narrow line of white 

 through the centre of the black crown. 



We most often look for the gayest music 

 from the brightest- tinted warblers, but here, 

 from a bird ot the most sober and modest 

 dress and one which can boast of no other 

 name but sparrow, we are treated with 

 music which many a warbler fain would imi- 

 tate. Is there a student who is searching to 

 find the notes of deepest pathos? Let him 

 study the song of the white-throated sparrow 

 and he has, in fullest measure, the object ot" 

 his search. 



