hedge-rows and the btishy margin of swamps. At this time they rarely visit the gardens 

 and parks of larger cities. They are always searching for seeds of grasses and weeds 

 on the ground, and for this purpose even visit the interior of open woods virhere many 

 species of sunflowers- grow abundantly, the seeds of which they greatly relish. Noise- 

 lessly they skip about. Now and then we only hear their call-note, a subdued cheep or 

 chee. In case of danger they all rush into the thickets and into the bushy interior of 

 the woods, not appearing again before they feel perfectly safe. Their flight leads them 

 often over large tracts, though they prefer to move from thicket to thicket. Like all 

 the small birds they migrate during the night, resting and searching for food during the 

 day. On the ground they are perfectly at home, running around adroitly. Although 

 they sometimes take insects from the leaves of the bushes, they pick most of their food 

 from the ground. Among the old leaves and grasses and in the loose leaf-mould of the 

 w^oods they scratch like a hen; yet unlike a hen in so far as they scratch with both 

 feet at once, which is, as Mr. Burroughs says, "by no means the best way to scratch." 

 If we have the opportunity to ramble about in the brier patches and copses and on the 

 bushy woodland border on any warm and clear October day, we shall rarely miss this 

 bird, provided we take an interest in bird-life and have accustomed ourselves to its 

 contemplation. By the end of October they have all disappeared from the Northern 

 and New England States. 



While residing in Texas I had many welcome opportunities to observe these and 

 other Sparrows in their winter-quarters. They were exceedingly numerous in the low dense 

 thickets overshadowed by magnolias, live-oaks, laurel-oaks, red bays', plane or sycamore 

 trees ^, sweet gum', hackberry and other trees on Bufialo and White Oak Bayous near 

 and in Houston, Tex. The underwood and the thickets which margined the woods, 

 consisted mostly of Dahoon'', Yupon^ holly', dogwood, different species of viburnum, 

 button-bush', lantanas, laurel-cherry °, and many other shrubs and small trees which 

 were overgrown with tangled masses of smilax, Carolina jasmine, clematis', and 

 grape-vines. The twisted and in every way grotesque forms of the supple Jack'" were 

 gi-owing to an immense size in the rich, moist soil. Thousands of our northern birds 

 find a safe retreat during the inclemency of the wintry "northers" in these protected 

 localities. The migrants in fall usually arrive immediately before or contemporary with 

 one of the rainy and cold "northers," which frequently visit Texas from early November 

 to the latter days of March. These cold winds are the cause why we cannot expect 

 a more tropical vegetation in this State, though the heat of summer is really tropical. 

 The first White-crowned Sparrows appear early in November, but the majority does 

 not arrive before the last days of that month or early in December. At this time the 

 thickets swarm with birds. In the dense broom grass" they find excellent hiding places, 

 for Sparrow Hawks and several other birds of prey are always present where many of 

 the small birds congregate. Seed-bearing grasses and weeds supply an abundance of 

 food, and there is no lack of insects on the ground and under the old leaves. During 

 the entire winter these localities are alive with thousands upon thousands of birds. 



1 Persea Catolinensis. 2 Plantanua occldentalis. » Llquldambar styraciUue. * Ilex Cassinc. 8 /. vomitora- 

 e I. opaca. ^ Cepbalantbus ocddentalls, » Prunua Carpliniana, » Clematis rioraa, ^o Derch^mi^ volubilis, ii Andro- 

 pogoti macrourus. 



