958 Eeport of State Geologist. 



*219. (560). Spizella socialis (Wils ). 



Chipping' Sparrow. 

 Synonyms, Chippy, Chip Bird, Hair Bird. 



Adult.— Bill, black; crown, bright rufous; forehead, black, divided 

 by a short grayish streak; stripe over eye, whitish; streak through 

 and behind eye, black; back, brownish, streaked with black; ear 

 coTerts and sides of neck, ash-gray; rump, grayish-blue; wings with 

 two light cross bars. Below, whitish, unspotted, washed with ashy 

 on sides and across breast; wings and tail, edged with lighter, not 

 white. Immature. — Bill, dull reddish-brown; crown, colored like the 

 back; breast and sides with dusky streaks; otherwise similar. The 

 grayish-blue rump and more dusky upper mandible serve to dis- 

 tinguish this bird. 



Length, 5.00-5.85; wing, 2.55-3.90; tail, 2.20-2.60. 



Eangb. — North America, from Mexico north to Newfoundland and 

 Great Slave Lake. Breeds from Gulf States, north. Winters from 

 Indian Territory, south. 



Nest, of rootlets and fine grass, lined with horsehair; in bush, vine 

 or tree, generally under ten feet up. Eggs, 3-4; pale bluish-green, 

 dotted, speckled or scrawled with dark brown; .69 by .50. 



The Chipping Sparrow is familiarly known as the "Chippy," or 

 "Chip Bird." It comes about our doors, upon our porches, and even, 

 at times, into our houses, picking up crumbs that have fallen. Where 

 cats and other enemies do not persecute them, they are very familiar, 

 building their nests in the shrubbery, vines and smaller evergreens. 

 From its habit of using horsehair, preferably black, in its nest, it is 

 sometimes called "Hair Bird." While sometimes they are with us, 

 in southern Indiana, from early March until past the middle of 

 November, rarely into December, I have no knowledge of their re- 

 maining over winter. The earliest and latest dates of its spring 

 appearance and fall departure in the localities noted are: Bickn'ell, 

 March 9, 1897,, March 23, 1895, departed October 27, 1895, November 

 19, 1896; Greensburg, March 1, 1895, April 5, 1894, departed October 

 17, 1896, December 15, 1894; Brookville, March 10, 1888, April 8, 

 1881, departed October 24, 1886; Lafayette, March 19, 1894, April 

 1, 1895, departed November 3, 1894; Sedan, March 30, 1897, April 

 8, 1895, departed October 31, 1894; Petersburg, Mich,, April 3, 1888, 

 April 8, 1897; Chicago, III, April 1, 1894, April 14, 1897, departed 

 October 3, 1895. 



In the spring the first to arrive are single birds, and these are suc- 

 ceeded in a few days, or,. if very early, in a week or two, by flocks 

 of their fellows, which may be seen trooping through the orchards 



