72 



THE CHIPPING SPARROW. 



General Range. — Eastern North America, west to the Rock)' Alountains, 

 north to Great Slave Lake, and south to eastern Mexico, breeding from the Gulf 

 States northward. 



Range in Ohio. — A common, and universally distributed summer resident. 

 Sparingly resident in winter in southern portion. 



A'VHO has not seen this little pensioner of doorstep and lawn? Wilson 

 was quite correct in naming him socialis, sociable; the more so if the word be 

 not construed in its ordinary sense of gregarious, but made to witness to the 

 bird's preference for human society. The Chipping Sparrow hops fearlessly 

 about our yards in search of food, or flutters up with a load of nesting material, 

 from our very feet, not with brazen impudence like the English Sparrow, but 

 with the cjuiet confidence of a trusted friend. No bird is more likely than he to 

 accept the proffered hospitality of honeysuckle vine or trellis, and instances are 

 bevond number where the gentle "Chippy" has been coaxed to eat from the 

 hand. 



Of all homely sounds the monotonous trill of the Chipping Sparrow is the 



most homely — and the most 

 easily forgivable. As music 

 it scarcely ranks above the 

 rattle of castanets, but the 

 little singer pours out his 

 soul full earnestly, and his 

 ardor leads him to sustained 

 eft'ort throughout the sultry 

 hours when more brilliant 

 vocalists are sulking in the 

 shade ; and for this we come 

 to prize this homely ditty 

 like the sound of plashing 

 waters. It is the Chipping 

 Sparrow too that may usu- 

 ally be depended upon to 

 open the morning chorus at 

 about 3 :i5, and that were ser- 

 A'ice enough to endear him to 

 the heart of the ornithologist. 

 Chippy's nest is a frail af- 

 fair at best, but often most 

 elaborately constructed of 

 rootlets and fine grasses and 

 plentifully lined with horse- 

 hair. In manv instances the 



Taken in Fairfield La. I'Uoto by the .liitliar. 



Cnil'PIXG SPARKOWS i\I';ST IN APPLF, TKEIC 



