THE SPARROW TRIBE AND ITS KIN 107 



Male and Female — Brown head, with three longitudinal 

 gray bands. Brown stripe on sides of throat. Brown- 

 ish-gray back, streaked with rufous. Underneath gray, 

 shading to white, heavily streaked with darkest brown. 

 A black spot on breast. Wings without bars. Tail 

 plain grayish brown. 



Range — ^Norih 'America, from Fiu: Countries to the Gulf 

 States.- Winters from southern Illinois and Massa- 

 chusetts to the GuK . 



Migrations — ^March. November. A few birds remain at 

 the North all the year. 



Here is a veritable bird neighbor, if ever there was one; 

 at home in oiir gardens and hedges, not often farther away 

 than the roadside, abundant everywhere during nearly 

 every month in the year, and yet was there ever one too 

 many? There is scarcely an hour ia the day, too, when its 

 delicious, ecstatic song may not be heard; in the darkness 

 of midnight, just before dawn, when its voice is almost the 

 first to respond to the chipping sparrow's wiry trill and the 

 robin's warble; in the cool of the morning, the heat of noon, 

 the hush of evening — ever the simple, homely, sweet 

 melody that every good American has learned to love in 

 childhood. What the bird lacks in beauty it abundantly 

 makes up in good cheer. Not at all retiring, though never 

 bold, it chooses some conspicuous perch on a bush or tree 

 to deUver its outburst of song, and sings away with serene 

 imconsciousness. The most familiar song — ^for this tune- 

 ful sparrow has at least six similar but sKghtly different 

 melodies in his repertoire — begins with a fuU round note 

 three times repeated, then dashes off into a sweet, short, 

 lively, intricate strain that almost trips itself in its hasty 



