212 LAND-BIRDS. 



sidn of a hundred melodies poured out by these birds and theii 

 associates. Though the Song Sparrows cannot properly be 

 called gregarious, yet in spring they often collect in large 

 numbers at their feeding-grounds ; but gradually many leave 

 us to pass the summer in a more northern country, and others 

 begin to buUd their nests here. During the breeding-season 

 they occupy the neighborhood of these nests, the various situ- 

 ations of which have already been mentioned. In many locali- 

 ties, other than those in which I have made my own observa- 

 tions, such as the fields and pasture-lands of the interior, and 

 those of New Hampshire or Maine, they perhaps pass the 

 spring as they do the summer, in those fields and their imme- 

 diate surroundings. In such places they are probably in 

 spring less common and less gregarious than in the country 

 previously described. As they raise two or three broods every 

 year, it is not until August (or a little earlier) that they are 

 freed from their household cares. Like several other birds, 

 they divide the labors of rearing their young, and the males, 

 while their mates rear one brood, often build the nest for 

 another, and are busied until summer is well advanced. 

 Later in the year they collect at their feeding-grounds, but not 

 so abundantly as in the spring, since the fall migrations of this 

 species extend through a greater length of time than the others. 

 During the former the Song Sparrows are most common 

 throughout a part of September and October, and associate 

 with various other Finches, rather preferring, at this season, 

 dry groimds to the swamps. It is impossible, however, 

 exactly to define the nature of the places in which they may 

 then be usually found. After the middle of October, they 

 appear and disappear until only those are left who pass the 

 winter with us. At all times of the year, except during the 

 mating-season, they are rather shy, and, when startled, almost 

 invariably dive into some near brush-heap or thicket, where 

 they are well concealed. They commonly prefer the neigh- 

 borhood of the ground, running quite nimbly on it, but much 

 more often perch in trees, even at a considerable height, than 

 is commonly supposed. They have a gently undulating flight, 

 flying low and never very far. 



