The Song Sparrows 



iage in trees, but skulks among the dead leaves on the ground, or threads 

 his way through log heaps. If driven from one covert the bird dashes to 

 another with an odd, jerking flight, working its tail like a pump-handle as 

 though to assist progress. Ordinarily the bird is not fearful, although 

 retiring in disposition. Bug-catching claims a great deal of attention, and 

 the tules, at least, must be very grateful for the incessant purging of insect 

 pests, especially grubs, which is contrived by this indefatigable gardener. 

 The Song Sparrow is not above scratching for a living either. At this task 



he kicks with both feet, 

 after the fashion ap- 

 proved by Pipilo and 

 others. He makes a bus- 

 iness of it, too, for every 

 once in a while a clod 

 flies out behind as 

 though it had been flung 

 from a buzz-saw. 



An unending suc- 

 cession of weed-seed goes 

 to make up the bill-of- 

 fare, and occasionally, of 

 course, a little fallen 

 grain. Once I sat behind 

 a blind on the margin of 

 a shallow lake and baited 

 up the ducks with wheat 

 for photographic pur- 

 poses. The ducks came 

 readily enough, but a 

 Song Sparrow consti- 

 tuted herself mistress of 

 ceremonies and inter- 

 fered with my plan sadly. 

 The Song Sparrow hap- 

 pened to know there was 

 a caged monster inside 

 that blind, whereas the 

 larger birds merely sus- 

 pected it. Every once 

 in a while, therefore, the 



Taken in Santa Barbara County Photo by the Author SparrOW Came near my 



"MEANWHILE, MANAGED TO SECURE A VERY COMFORTABLE MEAL" blind and Set Up 3. great 



340 



