SOME APRIL SPARROWS 39 



to be, is perfectly well marked, with a white 

 throat (not merely a white chin, as in the swamp 

 sparrow) and a broad white stripe on each side 

 of the crown, turning to yellow in front of the 

 eyes. The crown itself is dark, with a white line 

 through the middle, and each wing is adorned 

 with two white bars. In size the white-throat 

 comes next to the fox sparrow. 



The song sparrow and the vesper, sparrow not 

 only sing alike, but look alike. The latter may 

 be told at once, however, by his white outer tail 

 feathers, which show as he flies. These are two 

 of our commonest and worthiest birds. The ves- 

 per sparrow, more generally known, perhaps, as 

 the bay-winged bunting, likes a drier field than 

 the song sparrow, and is especially noticeable for 

 his trick of running along the path or the road 

 directly in front of the traveler. 



