FIELD OR RUSH SPARROW. 
501 
something like five twee twai , tw 3 tw ’ tw 3 tw 3 tw 3 tw , begin- 
ning loud and slow, and going up and down, shrill and 
quick, with a reverberating tone almost as rapid as the 
drumming of the Ruffed Grous. At other times the sound 
appears like te de de de de d 3 d 3 d 3 d 3 d’ d 3 dr 3 , rapid and 
echoing ; then weet iveet weed wat tb 3 d 3 d 3 d 3 d 3 d 3 d, also 
weet iveet weet weet , wV wt 3 ivt 3 ivV trr ; the whole of 
these notes rising and running together into a short trill, 
something like the song of the Canary, but less varied, 
and usually in a querulous or somewhat plaintive tone, 
though towards the close of summer, I have heard indi- 
viduals, nearly as musical and warbling as the Common 
Yellow-Bird. These tones are also somewhat similar to 
the reverberations of the Chipping Bird, but quite loud 
and sonorous, and without the changeless monotony of 
that species. In fact, our bird would be worthy a place 
in a cage as a songster of some merit. Like most of the 
Sparrows, the food of this species consists of seeds and 
insects, and they also search the leaves and branches 
at times in quest of moths, of which they appear fond. 
The Field Sparrow is about 5| inches long. (In the New Eng- 
land male bird) the head is simply chesnut without any dividing 
line, and the brownish tint beneath very obscure, the color being 
more of a dirty white ; the belly, breast, and vent are almost pure 
white. Above chesnut predominates, though the feathers are edged 
with drab, and lined in the centre with dusky ; greater wing-coverts 
edged and tipt with brownish-white ; rump drab, inclined to brown. 
Tail, from the insertion of the rump nearly 3 inches, dusky, forked, 
and edged with whitish. First primary shorter than the 6th, the 3d 
longest. Bill reddish cinnamon-color, a hard knob in the upper 
mandible as in Emberiza. Legs and feet pale yellow, scarcely in- 
clining to brown, the tarsus § of an inch. 
