1882. j 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
199 
Three Spring Birds. 
The Fox Sparrow, during the season of its 
migrations, is a common bird in the United 
States east of the Mississippi River, but is 
not known to breed in any part of this coun¬ 
try. This is the largest and handsomest of 
the United States, and seldom mingle with 
other species of sparrow which may be in the 
vicinity. They are very shy, pass most of the 
time on the ground in the edges of thickets or 
moist woods; scratch like hens, and feed prin¬ 
cipally on seeds. These sparrows are usually si¬ 
lent, only occasionally uttering a low, soft call 
the sound of its voice, and is quite an accom¬ 
plished ventriloquist. Its eggs, three to six 
for each nest, are white and nearly globular. 
They are often laid in abandoned crows’ 
nests, or in the hollow of trees a short dis¬ 
tance from the ground. This owl breeds 
more freely near the Atlantic Coast than 
TqRKE spring birds : tue fox sparrow, acadian own, and golden-winged warbler. —Engraved for the American Agriculturist. 
all our sparrows; length, about seven inches ; 
color, a rusty-red above, with small ashy 
streaks on the head, and larger ones on the 
back ; wings rusty, with two slender bars of 
white; beneath, white, with many rusty 
blotches. The Fox Sparrow moves north¬ 
ward earlier than the White-throated Spar¬ 
row, and reaches the latitude of Boston about 
the middle of March, where it often remains 
until the 20th of 
April, when it 
passes northward 
to its breeding 
grounds in the 
wooded districts 
of the fur coun¬ 
tries. Its nests are 
sometimes made 
in trees, but are 
usually placed on 
the ground, where 
they can be par¬ 
tially concealed 
with mosses, tall 
grass, or shrubs. 
The eggs,five usu¬ 
ally in a nest, are 
oblong, light blu¬ 
ish - white, and 
thickly spotted 
with rusty brown. 
When the nest is 
approached, the 
female bird uses 
various artifices 
to lead the in¬ 
truder away. Re¬ 
turning, this spar¬ 
row passes rapidly southward in October, 
and seldom stops for any length of time 
on its way to its winter home. It is 
found in South Carolina, and the neighbor¬ 
ing States, from November to April. These 
birds keep in small flocks during their stay in 
note, except in spring, when the male be¬ 
comes remarkably musical, and ranks among 
the sweetest of feathered songsters. 
The Acadian Owl is one of the smaller and 
prettier representatives of the Owl family. 
It is found in nearly all parts of the United 
States. Hight, six to eight inches; general col¬ 
or, olive brown, with the head streaked, back 
spotted, and the tail barred with white; 
the “red” BERKSHIRE sow “ belle.” — Engraved for the American Agriculturist.—{See next page.) 
inland. It is more social than most species 
of owl, several being sometimes seen in com¬ 
pany ; it is also quite tame. Specimens have 
occasionally been caught in large cities. 
During the day it can be easily captured, but 
at night it is active and vigilant. When 
wounded it frequently feigns death. It de¬ 
stroys field mice and also small birds. 
The Golden-Winged Warbler is a handsome 
little bird, about 
five inches long; 
color, bluish-gray 
above, with top 
of the head and 
broad bars on the 
wings a rich yel¬ 
low. A broad 
streak of black 
runs from the bill 
behind the eye 
and covers the 
chin, throat, and 
fore part of the 
breast. The under 
parts are gener¬ 
ally white. This 
bird is rare. It 
has been observed 
from Georgia to 
Massac husetts, 
and from New 
Jersey to Wiscon¬ 
sin. Its large 
nests are made on 
the ground, or in 
clumps of bush¬ 
es, in woodlands 
close to the mar¬ 
white beneath, with blotches of reddish 
chocolate. The love notes of the Acadian 
Owl resemble the noise made by filing a large 
saw, and, on this account, it is sometimes 
called the “Saw-whet” owl. It has also the 
power of changing the apparent direction of 
gins of swamps. The eggs, four or five in num¬ 
ber, are clear white, with reddish spots, and 
very beautiful. The Golden-Winged Warb¬ 
ler reaches the latitude of Boston in May, 
and remains until September, when it returns 
South for the winter. Its song consists of 
