FIELD SPARROW. 335 
and towns. Although found in woodland, its preference is for the open 
country and sparsely wooded pasture fields. In the fall they become gre- 
garious, but in spring, though numbers may be seen together, they are 
seldom seen in flocks. The common name is derived from:-its note. Its 
_ song is a rapid, prolonged, monotonous, but not unpleasant repetition of 
a single note. 
On one occasion J found the nest of this bird on the ground. It was 
placed in a slight depression in the turf of a woodland pasture, and con- 
tained four eggs. I kept sight «f it until the young were hatched and 
left the nest, which did not differ in construction from those placed in 
trees. 
The nest of the Chipping Sparrow, so far as known, with the above 
single exception, is always placed in trees cr bushes. It is indifferently 
fixed in a perpendicular or horizontal fork, and is for the most part com- 
posed of black horse-hair, with a loose foundation of grass and vegetable 
fibres. I have seen two nests composed entirely of white hairs. The 
eggs are four or five, bluish-green, rather spirsely spotted with purplish- 
and blackish-brown. They measure about 70 by .55. 
SPIZELLA PUSILLA (Wils.) Bp. 
Bueld Sparrow. 
Fringilla pusilia, KIRTLAND, Ohio Geolog. Surv., 1838, 164. 
Fringilla juncorum, READ, Proc. Phila. Acad, Nat. Sei., vi, 1853, 395. 
Spizella pusilla, WHEATON, Ohio Agric. Rep fur 1860, 366; Reprint, 1861, 8; Food of 
Birds, ete , Ohio Agric. Rep. for 1874, 566; Reprint, 1875, 6 --LaNnGpDon, Cat. Birds 
of Cin., 1877, 9; Revised List, Journ, Cin. Soc. Nat. Hist., i, 1879, 175; Reprint, 9. 
Fringilla pusilla, WILson, Am. Orn, ii, 1810, 121. 
Fringilla juncorum, NUTTALL, Man., 1232, 499. 
Spizella pusilla, BONAPARTE, List, 1838, 33. 
Bill pale reddish; feet very pales; crown dull chestnut; no decided black or whitish 
about head. Below, white, unmarked, bat much washed with pale brown on breast and 
sides; sides of head and neck with some vagne brown markings; all the ashy parts of 
socialis replaced by pale brownish Back bright bay, with black streaks and some pale 
flaxen edgings; inner second :ries similarly variegated; tips of median and greater 
coverts forming decided whitish cross-bars. Size of socialis, but more nearly the colors 
of monticola. Young, for a short time, streaked below as in socialis. 
Habitat, Eastern United States. 
Abundant summer resident from April to November. Frequents es- 
pecially the edges of woodland and borders of fields; sometimes, while on 
its spring migration, visits the gardens of cities. Its song is rather 
mournful, but very sweet and pleasing. It is heard during the whole 
day, and is especially noticeable at midday, when ‘most birds are silent. 
