254 
FItINGILLA MELODIA. 
singing* bird in spring, taking precedence even of the 
pewee and bluebird. Its song continues occasionally 
during the whole summer and fall, and is sometimes 
heard even in the depth of winter. The notes, or 
chant, are short, but very sweet, resembling the begin- 
ning of the canary’s song, and frequently repeated, 
generally from the branches of a bush or small tree, 
where it sits chanting for an hour together. It is 
fond of frequenting the borders of rivers, meadows, 
swamps, and such like watery places ; and, if wounded, 
and unable to fly, will readily take to the water, and 
swim with considerable rapidity. In the great cypress 
swamps of the southern States, in the depth of winter, 
I observed multitudes of these birds mixed with several 
other species ; for these places appear to be the grand 
winter rendezvous of almost all our sparrows. I have 
found this bird in every district of the United States, 
from Canada to the southern boundaries of Georgia; 
but Mr Abbot informs me, that he knows of only one 
or two species that remain in that part of Georgia 
during the summer. 
The song sparrow builds in the ground, under a tuft 
of grass ; the nest is formed of fine dry grass, and lined 
with horse hair ; the eggs are four or five, thickly 
marked with spots of reddish brown, on a white, some- 
times bluish white, ground ; if not interrupted, he raises 
three brood in the season. 1 have found his nest with 
young as early as the 26th of April, and as late as the 
12th of August. What is singular, the same bird often 
fixes his nest in a cedar tree, five or six feet from the 
ground. Supposing this to have been a variety, or 
different species, I have examined the bird, nest, and 
eggs, with particular care, several times, but found no 
difference. I have observed the same accidental habit 
in the red-winged blackbird, which sometimes builds 
among the grass, as well as on alder bushes. 
This species is six inches and a half long, and eight 
and a half in extent; upper part of the head, dark 
chestnut, divided, laterally, by a line of pale dirty white ; 
spot at each nostril, yellow ochre; line over the eye. 
