234 CLASS AVES. 



the Antilles to Hudson's Bay ; but on the approach of frost 

 they quit the northern climates. They are often seen, like 

 our pies and crows, in the train of the plough, to collect the 

 worms and larvas turned up by the share. 



They are heard to sing only in the spring season. Their 

 song is sonorous, and not destitute of melody, though of a 

 melancholy cast. Of all the migrating birds of North 

 America, they are the last to quit the central parts of the 

 United States. Their departure takes place in the month of 

 November. It would seem as if they did not remove to any 

 great distance, as they re-appear in the month of February. 

 They then frequent the saline marshes, and feed on the grains 

 of the Zizania-aquatica ; and in the month of March they 

 retire into coppices and orchards bordering on rural habita- 

 tions. They are often seen feeding at this time in the front 

 of barns, and even come to the doors of houses, to partake of 

 the food distributed to the poultry. 



When the Europeans first established themselves in North 

 America, these birds, and some of the Xanthorni, committed 

 such ravages in the corn-fields, that a price was set upon 

 their heads. They were easily exterminated, for they are 

 not distrustful ; and the more numerous they are, the more 

 easily do they suffer themselves to be approached. But, 

 from their nearly total destruction, an evil resulted which 

 was not foreseen. The corn and pastures were devoured by 

 worms and insects ; this forced the settlers to spare the birds, 

 that they might remove the other scourge. The damage 

 which they still do, being less apparent, as the country is 

 more cultivated, and their flesh being hard and dry, they are 

 seldom hunted at present, except for the purposes of amuse- 

 ment. 



We now come to the Sparrows, properly so called. 



It cannot be deemed necessary for our purposes to write a 

 description of a bird so common among us as the House 



