CHIPPING BUNTING. 81 



on the ground. It is small and comparatively slender, being formed of a 

 scanty collection of fine dried grass, and lined with horse or cow hair. The 

 esgs are four or five, of a bright greenish-blue colour, slightly marked with 

 dark and light-brown spots, chiefly distributed towards the larger end. 

 They are more pointed at the small end than is common in this genus. 

 Although timorous, these birds express great anxiety when their nest is 

 disturbed, especially the female. They generally raise two broods in the 

 season, south of Pennsylvania, and not unfrequently in Virginia and Mary- 

 land. 



The song of this species, if song it can with propriety be called, is heard 

 at all hours of the day, the bird seeming determined to make up by quan- 

 tity for defect in the quality of its notes. Mounted on the topmost branch 

 of any low tree or bush, or on the end of a fence stake, it emits with rapidity 

 six or seven notes resembling the sounds produced by smartly striking two 

 pebbles together, each succeeding note rising in strength, although the song 

 altogether is scarcely louder than the chirping of a cricket. It is often heard 

 during the calm of a fine night, or in the warmer days of winter. 



These gentle birds migrate by day; and no sooner has October returned 

 and mellowed the tints of the sylvan foliage, than flitting before you on the 

 road, you see family after family moving southward, chasing each other as 

 if in play, sweeping across the path, or flocking suddenly to a tree if sur- 

 prised, but almost instantly returning to the ground and resuming their line 

 of march. At the approach of night they throw themselves into thickets 

 of brambles, where, in company with several other species, they keep up a 

 murmuring conversation until long after dark. Their flight is short, rather 

 irregular, and seldom more elevated than the height of moderate-sized trees. 



With the exception of the Sharp-shinned Hawk, the Marsh Hawk, and 

 the Black Snake, these birds have few enemies, children being generally 

 fond of protecting them. Little or no difference is perceptible between the 

 sexes, and the young acquire the full plumage of their parents at the earliest 

 approach of spring. 



I did not find one individual of the species in Newfoundland, Labrador, 

 or Nova Scotia. 



I am now of opinion that this small species is altogether confined within 

 the range of the United States and a small portion of the eastern adjoining 

 provinces. It does not extend westward beyond the head waters of the 

 Missouri, nor south-westward beyond the Opelousas. None were observed 

 by the members of my party in Texas. The Chipping Sparrow is almost 

 as abundant in our country as the Domestic Sparrow is in Europe, and it is 

 nearly as familiar, though otherwise different in its habits. Dr. Brewer 

 has sent me the following notice respecting it: "With hardly a single excep- 



Vol. III. 13 



