bird neighbors-第36章

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er。）　〃It　builds　its　nest　in　the　tussocks　on　the　bank　of　a　ditch；　or　in　the　drift　left　by　the　tide；　rather　than　in　the　grassier　sites　chosen　by　its　neighbors；　the　seaside　sparrows。〃

Only　rarely　does　one　get　a　glimpse　of　this　shy　little　bird；　that　darts　out　of　sight　like　a　flash　at　the　first　approach。　Balancing　on　a　cat…tail　stalk　or　perched　upon　a　bit　of　driftwood；　it　makes　a　feeble；　husky　attempt　to　sing　a　few　notes；　and　during　the　brief　performance　the　opera…glasses　may　search　it　out　successfully。　While　it　feeds　upon　the　bits　of　sea…food　washed　ashore　to　the　edge　of　the　marshes；　it　gives　us　perhaps　the　best　chance　we　ever　get；　outside　of　a　museum；　to　study　the　bird's　characteristics　of　plumage。

〃Both　the　sharp…tailed　and　the　seaside　finches　are　crepuscular；〃　says　Dr。　Abbott；　in　〃The　Birds　About　Us。〃　They　run　up　and　down　the　reeds　and　on　the　water's　edge　long　after　most　birds　have　gone　to　sleep。


SONG　SPARROW　（Melospiza　fasciata）　Finch　family

Length　　6　to　6。5　inches。　About　the　same　size　as　the　English　　　sparrow。　Male　and　Female　　Brown　head；　with　three　longitudinal　gray　bands　　　Brown　stripe　on　sides　of　throat。　Brownish…gray　back　streaked　　　With　rufous。　Underneath　gray；　shading　to　white；　heavily　　　streaked　with　darkest　brown。　A　black　spot　on　breast。　Wings　　　without　bars。　Tail　plain　grayish　brown。　Range　　North　America；　from　Fur　Countries　to　the　Gulf　States。　　　Winters　from　southern　Illinois　and　Massachusetts　to　the　Gulf。　Migrations　　March。　November。　A　few　birds　remain　at　the　north　　　All　the　year。

Here　is　a　veritable　bird　neighbor；　if　ever　there　was　one；　at　home　in　our　gardens　and　hedges；　not　often　farther　away　than　the　roadside；　abundant　everywhere　during　nearly　every　month　in　the　year；　and　yet　was　there　ever　one　too　many？　There　is　scarcely　an　hour　in　the　day；　too；　when　its　delicious；　ecstatic　song　may　not　be　heard；　in　the　darkness　of　midnight；　just　before　dawn；　when　its　voice　is　almost　the　first　to　respond　to　the　chipping　sparrow's　wiry　trill　and　the　robin's　warble；　in　the　cool　of　the　morning；　the　heat　of　noon；　the　hush　of　evening　　ever　the　simple；　homely；　sweet　melody　that　every　good　American　has　learned　to　love　in　childhood。　What　the　bird　lacks　in　beauty　it　abundantly　makes　up　in　good　cheer。　Not　at　all　retiring；　though　never　bold；　it　chooses　some　conspicuous　perch　on　a　bush　or　tree　to　deliver　its　outburst　of　song；　and　sings　away　with　serene　unconsciousness。　Its　artlessness　is　charming。　Thoreau　writes　in　his　〃Summer〃　that　the　country　girls　in　Massachusetts　hear　the　bird　say：　〃Maids；　maids；　maids；　hang　on　your　teakettle；　teakettle…ettle…ettle。〃　The　call…note；　a　metallic　chip；　is　equally　characteristic　of　the　bird's　irrepressible　vivacity。　It　has　still　another　musical　expression；　however；　a　song　more　prolonged　and　varied　than　its　usual　performance；　that　it　seems　to　sing　only　on　the　wing。

Of　course；　the　song　sparrow　must　sometimes　fly　upward；　but　whoever　sees　it　fly　anywhere　but　downward　into　the　thicket　that　it　depends　upon　to　conceal　it　from　too　close　inspection？　By　pumping　its　tail　as　it　flies；　it　seems　to　acquire　more　than　the　ordinary　sparrow's　velocity。

Its　nest；　which　is　likely　to　be　laid　flat　on　the　ground；　except　where　field…mice　are　plentiful　（in　which　case　it　is　elevated　into　the　crotch　of　a　bush）；　is　made　of　grass；　strips　of　bark；　and　leaves；　and　lined　with　finer　grasses　and　hair。　Sometimes　three　broods　may　be　reared　in　a　season；　but　even　the　cares　of　providing　insects　and　seeds　enough　for　so　many　hungry　babies　cannot　altogether　suppress　the　cheerful　singer。　The　eggs　are　grayish　white；　speckled　and　clouded　with　lavender　and　various　shades　of　brown。

In　sparsely　settled　regions　the　song　sparrows　seem　to　show　a　fondness　for　moist　woodland　thickets；　possibly　because　their　tastes　are　insectivorous。　But　it　is　difficult　to　imagine　the　friendly　little　musician　anything　but　a　neighbor。　


SWAMP　SONG　SPARROW　（Melospiza　georgiana）　Finch　family

Called　also：　SWAMP　SPARROW　＇AOU　1998＇；　MARSH　SPARROW；　RED　　　GRASS…BIRD；　SWAMP　FINCH

Length　　5　to　5。8　inches。　A　little　smaller　than　the　English　　　sparrow。　Male　　Forehead　black；　crown；　which　in　winter　has　black　stripes；　　　is　always　bright　bay；　line　over　the　eye；　sides　of　the　neck　　　gray。　Back　brown；　striped　with　various　shades。　Wing。　edges　and　　　tail　reddish　brown。　Mottled　gray　underneath　inclining　to　white　　　on　the　chin。　Female　　Without　black　forehead　and　stripes　on　head。　Range　　North　America；　from　Texas　to　Labrador。　Migrations　　April。　October。　A　few　winter　at　the　north。

In　just　such　impenetrable　retreats　as　the　marsh　wrens　choose；　another　wee　brown　bird　may　sometimes　be　seen　springing　up　from　among　the　sedges；　singing　a　few　sweet　notes　as　it　flies　and　floats　above　them；　and　then　suddenly　disappearing　into　the　grassy　tangle。　It　is　too　small；　and　its　breast　is　not　streaked　enough　to　be　a　song　sparrow；　neither　are　their　songs　alike；　it　has　not　the　wren's　peculiarities　of　bill　and　tail；　Its　bright…bay　crown　and　sparrowy　markings　finally　identify　it。　A　suggestion　of　the　bird's　watery　home　shows　itself　in　the　liquid　quality　of　its　simple；　sweet　note；　stronger　and　sweeter　than　the　chippy's；　and　repeated　many　times　almost　like　a　trill　that　seems　to　trickle　from　the　marsh　in　a　little　rivulet　of　song。　The　sweetness　is　apt　to　become　monotonous　to　all　but　the　bird　itself；　that　takes　evident　delight　in　its　performance。　In　the　spring；　when　flocks　of　swamp　sparrows　come　north；　how　they　enliven　the　marshes　and　waste　places。　And　yet　the　song；　simple　as　it　is；　is　evidently　not　uttered　altogether　without　effort；　if　the　tail…spreading　and　teetering　of　the　body　after　the　manner　of　the　ovenbird；　are　any　indications　of　exertion。

Nuttall　says　of　these　birds：　〃They　thread　their　devious　way　with　the　same　alacrity　as　the　rail；　with　whom；　indeed；　they　are　often　associated　in　neighborhood。　In　consequence　of　this　perpetual　brushing　through　sedge　and　bushes；　their　feathers　are　frequently　so　worn　that　their　tails　appear　almost　like　those　of　rats。〃

But　the　swamp　sparrows　frequently　belie　their　name；　and；　especially　in　the　South；　live　in　dry　fields；　worn…out　pasture　lands　with　scrubby；　weedy　patches　in　them。　They　live　upon　seeds　of　grasses　and　berries；　but　Dr。　Abbott　has　detected　their　special　fondness　for　fish　　not　fresh　fish　particularly；　but　rather　such　as　have　lain　in　the　sun　for　a　few　days　and　become　dry　as　a　chip。　　Their　nest　is　placed　on　the　ground；　sometimes　in　a　tussock　of　grass　or　roots　of　an　upturned　tree　quite　surrounded　by　water。　Four　or　five　soiled　white　eggs　with　reddish…brown　spots　are　laid　usually　twice　in　2　season。


TREE　SPARROW　（Spizella　monticola）　Finch　family

Called　also：　CANADA　SPARROW；　WINTER　CHIPPY；　TREE　BUNTING；　WINTER　　　CHIP…BIRD；　ARCTIC　CHIPPER

Length　　6　to　6。35　inches。　About　the　same　size　as　the　English　　　sparrow。　Male　　Crown　of　head　bright　chestnut。　Line　over　the　eye；　cheeks；　　　throat；　and　breast　gray；　the　breast　with　an　indistinct　black　　　spot　on　centre。　Brown　back；　the　feathers　edged　with　black　and　　　buff。　Lower　back　pale　grayish　brown。　Two　whitish　bars　across　　　dusky　wings；　tail　feathers　bordered　with　grayish　white。　　　Underneath　whitish。　Female　　Smaller　and　less　distinctly　marked。　Range　　North　America；　from　Hudson　Bay　to　the　Carolinas；　and　　　westward　to　the　plains。　Migrations　　October。　April。　Winter　resident。

A　revised　and　enlarged　edition　of　the　friendly　little　chipping　sparrow；　that　hops　to　our　very　doors　for　crumbs　throughout　the　mild　weather；　comes　out　of　British　America　at　the　beginning　of　winter　to　dissipate　much　of　the　winter's　dreariness　by　his　cheerful　twitterings。　Why　he　should　have　been　called　a　tree　sparrow　is　a　mystery；　unless　because　he　does　not　frequent　trees　　　a　reason　with　sufficient　plausibility　to　commend　the　name　to　several　of　the　early　ornithologists；　who　not　infrequently　called　a　bird　precisely　what　it　was　not。　The　tree　sparrow　actually　does　not　show　half　the　preference　for　trees　that　its　familiar　little　counterpart　does；　but　rather　keeps　to　low　bushes　when　not　on　the　ground；　where　we　usually　find　it。　It　does　not　crouch　upon　the　ground　like　the　chippy；　but　with　a　lordly　carriage　holds　itself　erect　as　it　nimbly　runs　over　the　frozen　crust。　Sheltered　from　the　high；　wintry　winds　in　the　furrows　and　dry　ditches　of　ploughed　fields；