THE FIELD SPARROW. 



75 



Plains, south to the Gulf States and 'I'exas. Breeds from South Carolina, south- 

 ern Illinois, and Kansas northward. 



Range in Ohio. — Common summer resident. 



OF plainer appearance even than the Chipping Sparrow, this humble 

 wayside bird excels in song. Its trill is genericalh^ related to that of the other 

 bird, but its notes are purest music. Trzi', fc-n.', tc-^'. — the first three or four 

 notes come full and clear, but then comes a rapid accelerando through which 

 they swiftly pass into a delicious trill, and so fade (jut. The tones are tender 

 and sweet, and possess a subtle spiritual equality which lifts them out of the 

 realm of common things. One never ciuite gets over wondering at the excess- 

 ive plainness of the singer in contrast with the exalted sentiment he utters. 

 It is as the a clod took voice and a soul escaped in song. 



Within certain pretty clearly defined limits the Field Sparrow's song is 

 capable of great individual variation. Thus it becomes comparatively easy to 

 distinguish a half dozen birds in a field by their songs alone. In some the 

 opening notes are prolonged, as, Heezv, he-ezv, he-em, hc-czv, hezv, liezv, hcii', 

 hehcececc. In others they are distinctly doubled and have the accent trans- 

 ferred to the second syllable, Tu-eet' , tit-cet', tii-eet' , tu-eef . zveet, zveet, zveet, 

 TR. One individual heard in August difTered from all others in the neighbor- 

 hood in having such a doulale note, Cher-ie, cher-ic, cher-ie, tezv, tezv, etc. The 

 following spring the singer returned to the same station, and two others about 

 a hundred vards away developed the same peculiarity. It is fair to suppose 

 that these last were children of the first. 





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Fhoto by the Author. 

 A NESTING SITE. 



THE NEST SHOWN IN THE PRECEDING ILEUSTRATION OCCUPJF.5 

 CENTRAL POSITION IN TJIE MAIN TUSSOCK. 



