On the Natural History of the Rosignd. 49 



quently repeated, generally from the branclies of a bush, or a 

 small tree, where it sits chanting for an hour together. 



The song sparrow is usually called in Upper Canada the " grass 

 bird " or " grey bird," a name that is also applied to another little 

 fellow, who is frequently found building upon a tree close to the 

 walls of some inhabited house. This, however, is the " chipping 

 sparrow," a bird which, although it belongs to the family, has its 

 place in another genus. It is the Emheriza socialis of Swainson, 

 and may be recognised by its song " sip-sip-sip-sip, resembling, as 

 Audubon says, " the sounds produced by smartly striking two 

 pebbles together, each succeeding note rising in strength, although 

 the song altogether is scarcely louder than the chirping of a 

 cricket." 



Of the genus to which the song sparrow belongs, four species 

 only, visit Canada, and of these Fringilla melodia is the most 

 common. 



The following are the generic and specific characters : 



canadian sparrows. 

 [Class Aves, Order Insessores, Genus Fringilla, (Linn.)] 

 Bill short, stout, conical, somewhat compressed, pointed ; upper 

 .mandible of the same breadth as the lower, with its dorsal line 

 straight, the ridge indistinct, the sides rounded, the edges ascend- 

 ing at the base, the notches obsolete, the tip scarcely deflected ; 

 lower mandible with the angle very short and rounded, the dorsal 

 line straight, the sides convex, the edges inflected, the tip acute 

 Nostrils basal, roundish, concealed by the feathers. Head rather 

 large, ovate; neck short; body compact. Legs of moderate 

 length ; tarsus rather short, compressed, with seven scutella; toes 

 moderate; hind toe stout, lateral equal. Claws rather long, arched 

 compressed, acute. Plumage rather compact, but blended. Wings 

 of moderate length, with the second, third, and fourth quills long- 

 est. Tail of moderate length, slightly emarginate. Roof of upper 

 mandible moderately concave, with three longitudinal ridges; 

 tongue compressed, channelled above, horny, rather obtuse and 

 concave at the end ; oesophagus dilated about the middle ; stomach 

 roundish, muscular ; intestine rather short ; coeca small. 



1. Fringilla iliaca, Mbrrem. Fox-coloured Finch. 

 Upper parts light red, claws long, hind toe and its claws of 



