254 
FRINGILLA MELODIA. 
singing bird in spring, taking precedence even of 
pervee and blnebird. Its song continues occasion^* . 
during the whole summer and fall, and is sometiio^* 
hoard even in the depth of winter. The notes, 
chant, are short, but very sweet, resembling the beg>® 
ning of the canary’s song, and frequently repeat^’ 
generally from the branches of a bush or small 
where it sits clianting for an hour together, ff ’ 
fond of frequenting the borders of rivers, meado'^' 
swamps, and such like watery places ; and, if woiiud^j 
and unable to lly, M'ill readily take to the water, 
swim witli considerable rapidity. In the great cyp’’^'^ 
swamps of the southern States, in the depth of 
I observed multitudes of these birds mixed with sev^j 
other species ; for these places appear to be the 
winter rendezvous of almost all our sparrows. 1 1’* . 
found this bird in every district of the United 
from Canada to the southern boundaries of Ueorg'* 
but Mr Abbot informs me, that he knows of only 
or two species that remain in that part of Geofh 
during the summer. a 
Tlie song sparrow builds in the ground, under a 
of grass ; the nest is formed of hue dry grass, and b^.y 
with horse hair; the eggs are four or live, tbifb' 
marked with spots of reddish brown, on a white, 
times bluish white, ground ; if not interrupted, he raif^jj 
11 . 1 have found his nest " ' 
three brood in the season. 
tb< 
young as early as the 26th of April, and as late as „ 
12th of August. What is singular, the same bird ol 
ILxes his nest in a cedar tree, live or six feet from ^ 
ground. Siqiposing this to have been a varietj'i 
different species, I have examineil the bird, nest, 
eggs, witli particular care, several times, but found 
difference. I have observed the same accidental ha ^ 
in the red-winged blackbird, which sometimes bu 
among tlie grass, as well as on alder bushes. .„tit 
This species is six inches and a half long, and 
and a half in extent; upper part of the bead, 
chestnut, divided, laterally, by a line of pale dirty " ” yc, 
spot at each nostril, yellow ochre ; line over the ■ 
