MAINE OKNITITOLOGIST AXD OOLOfitST, 



I When tlie song and cbippiog-spar- 

 I rows return in early April, the trec- 



The Chippini^-Sparrow, 



{Fringlla Soci'iUs.) 



I sparrows are about leaving for their 

 There are at least five different hin.ls I .j,,^^.^^ j^^^j^^^^^^ ^,^j^ .^ ^ ^.^^.^ ^^. 



of sparr.i.vth .t a.v coutiaually coufoun. ^-i.^ 1, ^^ is hard to convince some kind- 

 diiJ wit'.i this little pet of thC-doov-yard, | |y ivjends of the birds, but Avhich is 

 t'.ie field-sparrow, the yef-w-v. inge:! ; equally susceptible of proof with the 

 sparrow the white-throated spurrow. migrations of the soar-rail — whom 

 ttie song-sparrow, and tie 'ire«?-.->}).irr()w^ many otherwise eulightened dwellers 

 ill of which are easily distinguishable j "n creeks u here they abouad fiimly 

 not only by their varied size and mark- ! believe to hibernate in the n:ud liki 

 ing^ biit nlso by tlicir h;il its. j ^'^'"S^. 



An enterprising cr.Mture is tl;o true I TliC distinguishing marks of the chip- 



chippv.aiid as fiiendly in demcjinoi 

 .13 he dares to be, having a f.uidaess f»»r 

 fre'i.ieniiag window-sills and celbn- 

 steos in spite of well kni.wn tl.r.igers 

 froju prowling cats and mi-cliiyvious 

 lU'chius with ^-fresh salt." 



The Ciiippies' UL-sts are bnilt in '» 

 breezy ^lace, with an eye to lookout, 

 and is an ingenious crad'e of fine hny 

 and roots. The male bird sings, too^ 

 a:i 1 chirps it to his mate while she i.? 



ping-spr.rrow are his hright bay col- 

 )redcroA'n and crest, the very promi- 

 nent black line running bacl'.^ard from 

 the bhick bdl to the hi))d-l»cad throiiiih 

 the eyes, and the pure-white line above 

 it, and Lis deminutivc figure, v. hich is 

 smaller than that of any ether spar- 

 P >w except the field-spa irow. who is 

 also precisely five inches and a hall 

 long and eight inches in extent. 



The fleld-spanow is compai'iitivoly 



doin"^ her i»nrt in hatc'iinir ont the ;i s'lv bird and of nearlv the same 

 four pure-blue ejgsuhich are m^irk- j g^^-i, era! Color and markings, but much 

 cl on thf larger end with black s|;OtS' , duller, and more inclined to day co!- 

 Some people may not know, that the i or in tint aud is wanting the deep 

 c!iippinj;--p irrows are migratory birds > !j];,(k of the lines on the ^itle o: the 

 and that the little fellows that luive bt-eii j head that point out the chippy, 

 feeding all wintc on the -now with , It not unfiequently happens tliat 

 the crumbs from the table are not the, the late-hatch of chipji<s turn out albi- 

 ?a:n_^ bir Is that feel on thejrravel walk uos or nea^l^ pure wijitc. which there 

 in the -nmmer time. i'iie winter vis. is a tiuory, may be caused by ihe cold- 

 itant:< w!io resemble r.hem so much. arc Uioss t)f the weather at that time; for 

 larger birds, measuveing six and a half! in the spring moultingthcy seem to re- 

 iiuhes in Imgth— one inch longer than | gain the brown colors of the spec ies. 

 thechippinir-sparrow— and are the tree- j It wi.nld be interesting to know if 

 spa'TOws {Fnnq^^^n Caur,(Ie>isis)^\M'\^^^^- "^^ ^^'' ^^'^ ^-^"^ ^^'f'' the other al- 

 anive i i thi^ part of ti.c CMunfrv a^jout ^ i)in->s among birds— robbins.crow-. and 



, . , ,. . ,• ,, fi r. ^ ...n. ' b-ack birds who nre espcci l!v subjecrt 



the tisnc thecaiv>p]es retire to t!le^ontll , . <• ^ , !■ -- ' . . * 



. to this •treai: ot ^^aturc. 



to spend fne winter* i 



