220 DENIZENS OF THE DESERT 



they are going to get anything to eat they 

 must earn it by their own diligent efforts. In 

 little groups they sally from one weed patch to 

 another, and industriously scratch for every 

 mite of food that is left. They seem to spend a 

 good deal less time than most of the birds in 

 aimless flights or in sitting around in the sun- 

 shine doing nothing. Like the European peas- 

 ants they sing as they work and pass the days 

 merrily even though they must be filled with 

 arduous labors. 



The music of these gleeful birds is the cheeri- 

 est and most constant song of winter and lends 

 brightness to many a dull and monotonous day. 

 They are particularly songful in the evening at 

 about the time when they are going to roost. 



Unhappily there is little of particular interest 

 to write about these birds for, while they are 

 well worth knowing and always are about in 

 greatest numbers, they belong to those general- 

 ized types of birds with few mannerisms that 

 are noticeably unusual. Perhaps we may say 

 of them, as Lincoln said of the common people : 

 the Lord must love them because he made so 

 many of them. 



