SONG SPARROW 



Male and female alike; streaked '^ith black and brown 

 above; chestnut crown with grayish streak; under parts white 

 with brown and black streakings ; brown stripe back of the 

 eye; reddish-brown streaks on breast; tail reddish-brown. 

 Length, six and three-tenths inches. 



The nest, usually on the ground, is made of grasses and 

 occasionally lined with horse-hair. Eggs, four to five, white 

 or greenish, sometimes bluish with brown markings. The 

 eggs in a, nest may vary much in color, .'75 x .60 inches. 



This is one of the most common song-birds. It comes in 

 early March with the Robin and Bluebird to cheer us while 

 the chill of winter is still in the air. Of thirty varieties of 

 Sparrows this one excels all the others in its ability to sing. 

 Perched on a bush or a low tree, it pours out a volume of sweet 

 music that astonishes and delights every listener. How such 

 a little creature with lungs no larger than a pea can produce 

 such varied and charming tones is a mystery. Its joyous 

 nature is irrepressible. No kind of weather can dampen its 

 spirits or stop its song. Often, when disturbed by some sound, 

 it will break into singing in the darkness of the night. 



The increasing abundance of this bird is not surprising 

 when we remember that a single pair may raise three broods, 

 or twelve to fifteen young ones in a summer. Its happy song 

 may be heard in the open fields, the forest thickets and the city 

 parks from March to October. As it is fond of bathing, lakes, 

 streams and swampy lowlands attract it most. The male bird 

 is devoted to his family and cheerfully divides with his mate 

 the tedious work of hatching and feeding their young. He has 



