BIRDS OF THE SNOW 7 



we find that in North America there are as many 

 as twenty-two races oi song sparrows, to each of 

 which has been given a scientific name. When you 

 wish to speak of our northeastern song sparrow 

 in the latest scientific way, you must say 

 Melospisa cinerea melodia, which tells us that it 

 is a melodious song finch, ashy or brown in colour. 



Our winter sparrows are easy to identify. The 

 song sparrow may, of course, be known by the 

 streaks of black and brown upon his breast and 

 sides, and by the blotch which these form in the 

 centre of the breast. The tree sparrow, which 

 comes to us from Hudson Bay and Labrador, 

 lacks the stripes, but has the centre spot. This is 

 one of our commonest field birds in winter, not- 

 withstanding his name. 



The most omnipresent and abundant of all our 

 winter visitors from the north are the juncos, or 

 snowbirds. Slate coloured above and white below, 

 perfectly describes these birds, although their dis- 

 tinguishing mark, visible a long way off, is the 

 white V in their tails, formed by several white 

 outer feathers on each side. The sharp chirps of 

 juncos are heard before the ice begins to form, 

 and they stay with us all winter. 



We have called the junco a snowbird, but this 

 name should really be confined to a black and 

 white bunting which comes south only with a mid- 

 winter's rush of snowflakes. Their warm little 

 bodies nestle close to the white crystals, and they 



