THE CHIPPING SPARROW. 



{Spizella socialis.) 



The Chipping Sparrow visits the tem- 

 perate regions of Eastern North America 

 at that time of the year of which the poet 

 Tennyson has said : 



"Now fades the last long streak of snow, 

 Now bourgeons every maze of quick 

 About the flowering squares, and thick 



By ashen rootes the violets blow." 



With the advancing seasons it passes 

 still farther northward, till at last some 

 of these birds have established their 

 homes in Newfoundland and Southern 

 Canada. They nest and rear their young 

 from the Gulf States to the northern lim- 

 its of their range. 



Air. Chapman has truthfully said : 

 "The Chippy is among sparrows what 

 the phcebe is among flycatchers — the 

 humblest, most unassuming member of 

 its family. Both show trustfulness, 

 which, in spite of their unattractive ap- 

 pearance and far from pleasing voices, 

 win our affection." 



Few of our feathered friends are more 

 confiding or will show more confidence in 

 us, especially when by quiet, kindly acts 

 we attract them to our doorsteps. They 

 love the habitations of man and will se- 

 lect the vines and bushes of the door- 

 yard in which to build their homes. The 

 name Social Sparrow is fully as appro- 

 priate as Chipping Sparrow. The latter 

 name is derived from their song - , which 

 is best described as a "monotonous chip- 

 py-chippy-chippy-chippy," ending at 

 times in a quiet trill. Their happy dis- 

 positions and busy lives are inspiring. 



"Bid the little homely sparrows, 



Chirping in the cold and rain. 

 Their impatient, sweet complaining, 



Sing out from their hearts again ; 

 Bid them set themselves to mating, 



Cooing love in softest words. 

 Crowd their nests, all cold and empty, 



Full of little callow birds." 



The song of the Chippy lasts about 

 four seconds and is repeated at frequent, 

 intervals throughout the day. They "fre- 

 quently repeat their trills in the dark- 

 ness of night when restless or disturbed." 

 Air. Silloway has estimated that "if their 

 total practice through the day amounts 



to five hours, it is probable that they ut- 

 ter more than two thousand songs in a 

 da}', and perhaps even more ; a wonder- 

 ful record for these little musicians." 

 The ground, the fence, the porch or a 

 shrub serve alike as a rostrum from 

 which, with uplifted heads, to utter their 

 trills. 



Were it not for the English sparrow 

 the yards of our country residences would 

 be alive with these companionable birds. 

 They not only enjoy the society of man, 

 but also the presence of their own kind. 

 The male is very attentive and will share 

 food that he has obtained with his mate, 

 for whom he shows the greatest fond- 

 ness. In fact, the love for each other 

 exhibited by a pair of these sparrows is 

 remarkable. Then, too, their attachment 

 for the home bush, in which they have 

 passed a happy season, is frequently 

 shown by their returning to the same 

 bush or one near by, not. only the next 

 season, but probably for several. 



The delicate little home of the Chippy 

 is sometimes a neatly and closely woven 

 fabrication of the hairs of horses and 

 cows. Because of this habit of using hair 

 in its nest the Chippy is frequently called 

 the Hairbird. More often, however, the 

 hair is used in the lining, which is pro- 

 tected by an outer wall made of grasses, 

 fine roots and twigs. The nest is seldom 

 placed less than five feet from the ground. 

 In this home, with its feltlike lining, are 

 laid the four or five bluish green eggs, 

 the larger ends of which are speckled 

 with brown or black. The Chippy is not 

 contented with a single family and usu- 

 ally raises two in a season. 



The patient devotion of the parent 

 birds to their young is very interesting. 

 They teach the little birds to gather their 

 own food and carefully guard them till 

 they have gained sufficient strength and 

 confidence to care for themselves. Even 

 then parents and offspring remain near 

 each other, lovingly feeding in the same 

 pasture, till the cold autumn drives them 

 to their summer home in the Southern 

 States and Mexico. 



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