bird neighbors-第37章

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ozen　crust。　Sheltered　from　the　high；　wintry　winds　in　the　furrows　and　dry　ditches　of　ploughed　fields；　a　loose　flock　of　these　active　birds　keep　up　a　merry　hunt　for　fallen　seeds　and　berries；　with　a　belated　beetle　to　give　the　grain　a　relish。　As　you　approach　the　feeding　ground；　one　bird　gives　a　shrill　alarm…cry；　and　instantly　five　times　as　many　birds　as　you　suspected　were　in　the　field　take　wing　and　settle　down　in　the　scrubby　undergrowth　at　the　edge　of　the　woods　or　by　the　wayside。　No　still　cold　seems　too　keen　for　them　to　go　a…foraging；　but　when　cutting　winds　blow　through　the　leafless　thickets　the　scattered　remnants　of　a　flock　seek　the　shelter　of　stone　walls；　hedges；　barns；　and　cozy　nooks　about　the　house　and　garden。　It　is　in　mid…winter　that　these　birds　grow　most　neighborly；　although　even　then　they　are　distinctly　less　sociable　than　their　small　chippy　cousins。

By　the　first　of　March；　when　the　fox　sparrow　and　the　bluebird　attract　the　lion's　share　of　attention　by　their　superior　voices；　we　not　infrequently　are　deaf　to　the　modest；　sweet　little　strain　that　answers　for　the　tree　sparrow's　love…song。　Soon　after　the　bird　is　in　full　voice；　away　it　goes　with　its　flock　to　their　nesting　ground　in　Labrador　or　the　Hudson　Bay　region。　It　builds；　either　on　the　ground　or　not　far　from　it；　a　nest　of　grasses；　rootlets；　and　hair；　without　which　no　true　chippy　counts　its　home　complete。


VESPER　SPARROW　（Poocaetes　gramineus）　Finch　family

Called　also：　BAY…WINGED　BUNTING；　GRASSFINCH；　GRASSBIRD

Length　　5。75　to　6。25　inches。　A　little　smaller　than　the　English　　　sparrow。　Male　and　Female　　Brown　above；　streaked　and　varied　with　gray。　　　Lesser　wing　coverts　bright　rufous。　Throat　and　breast　whitish；　　　striped　with　dark　brown。　Underneath　plain　soiled　white。　Outer　　　tail…quills；　which　are　its　special　mark　of　identification；　are　　　partly　white；　but　apparently　wholly　white　a。s　the　bird　flies。　Range　　North　America；　especially　common　in　eastern　parts　from　　　Hudson　Bay　to　Gulf　of　Mexico。　Winters　south　of　Virginia。　Migrations　　April。　October。　Common　summer　resident。

Among　the　least　conspicuous　birds；　sparrows　are　the　easiest　to　classify　for　that　very　reason；　and　certain　prominent　features　of　the　half　dozen　commonest　of　the　tribe　make　their　identification　simple　even　to　the　merest　novice。　The　distinguishing　marks　of　this　sparrow　that　haunts　open；　breezy　pasture　lands　and　country　waysides　are　its　bright；　reddish…brown　wing　coverts；　prominent　among　its　dingy；　pale　brownish…gray　feathers；　and　its　white　tail…quills；　shown　as　the　bird　flies　along　the　road　ahead　of　you　to　light　upon　the　fence…rail。　It　rarely　flies　higher；　even　to　sing　its　serene；　pastoral　strain；　restful　as　the　twilight；　of　which；　indeed；　it　seems　to　be　the　vocal　expression。　How　different　from　the　ecstatic　outburst　of　the　song　sparrow！　Pensive；　but　not　sad；　its　long…drawn　silvery　notes　continue　in　quavers　that　float　off　unended　like　a　trail　of　mist。　The　song　is　suggestive　of　the　thoughts　that　must　come　at　evening　to　some　New　England　saint　of　humble　station　after　a　well…spent；　soul…uplifting　day。

But　while　the　vesper　sparrow　sings　oftenest　and　most　sweetly　in　the　late　afternoon　and　continues　singing　until　only　he　and　the　rose…breasted　grosbeak　break　the　silence　of　the　early　night；　his　is　one　of　the　first　voices　to　join　the　morning　chorus。　No　〃early　worm；〃　however；　tempts　him　from　his　grassy　nest；　for　the　seeds　in　the　pasture　lands　and　certain　tiny　insects　that　live　among　the　grass　furnish　meals　at　all　hours。　He　simply　delights　in　the　cool；　still　morning　and　evening　hours　and　in　giving　voice　to　his　enjoyment　of　them。

The　vesper　sparrow　is　preeminently　a　grass…bird。　It　first　opens　its　eyes　on　the　world　in　a　nest　neatly　woven　of　grasses；　laid　on　the　ground　among　the　grass　that　shelters　it　and　furnishes　it　with　food　and　its　protective　coloring。　Only　the　grazing　cattle　know　how　many　nests　and　birds　are　hidden　in　their　pastures。　Like　the　meadowlarks；　their　presence　is　not　even　suspected　until　a　flock　is　flushed　from　its　feeding　ground；　only　to　return　to　the　spot　when　you　have　passed　on　your　way。　Like　the　meadowlark　again；　the　vesper　sparrow　occasionally　sings　as　it　soars　upward　from　its　grassy　home。


WHITE…CROWNED　SPARROW　（Zonotrichia　leucophrys）　Finch　family

Length　　7　inches。　A　little　larger　than　the　English　sparrow。　Male　　White　head；　with　four　longitudinal　black　lines　marking　　　off　a　crown；　the　black…and…white　stripes　being　of　about　equal　　　width。　Cheeks；　nape；　and　throat　gray。　Light　gray　underneath；　　　with　some　buff　tints。　Back　dark　grayish　brown。　some　feathers　　　margined　with　gray。　Two　interrupted　white　bars　across　wings。　　　Plain；　dusky　tail；　total　effect；　a　clear　ashen　gray。　Female　　With　rusty　head　inclining　to　gray　on　crown。　Paler　　　throughout　than　the　male。　Range　　From　high　mountain　ranges　of　western　United　States　（more　　　rarely　on　Pacific　slope）　to　Atlantic　Ocean；　and　from　Labrador　　　to　Mexico。　Chiefly　south　of　Pennsylvania。　Migrations　　October。　April。　Irregular　migrant　in　Northern　　　States。　A　winter　resident　elsewhere。

The　large　size　and　handsome　markings　of　this　aristocratic…looking　Northern　sparrow　would　serve　to　distinguish　him　at　once；　did　he　not　often　consort　with　his　equally　fine…looking　white…throated　cousins　while　migrating；　and　so　too　often　get　overlooked。　Sparrows　are　such　gregarious　birds　that　it　is　well　to　scrutinize　every　flock　with　especial　care　in　the　spring　and　autumn；　when　the　rarer　migrants　are　passing。　This　bird　is　more　common　in　the　high　altitudes　of　the　Sierra　Nevada　and　Rocky　Mountains　than　elsewhere　in　the　United　States。　There　in　the　lonely　forest　it　nests　in　low　bushes　or　on　the　ground；　and　sings　its　full　love　song；　as　it　does　in　the　northern　British　provinces；　along　the　Atlantic　coast；　but　during　the　migrations　it　favors　us　only　with　selections　from　its　repertoire。　Mr。　Ernest　Thompson　says；　〃Its　usual　song　is　like　the　latter　half　of　the　white…throat's　familiar　refrain；　repeated　a　number　of　times　with　a　peculiar；　sad　cadence　and　in　a　clear；　soft　whistle　that　is　characteristic　of　the　group。〃　〃The　song　is　the　loudest　and　most　plaintive　of　all　the　sparrow　songs；〃　says　John　Burroughs。　〃It　begins　with　the　words　fe…u；　fe…u；　fe…u；　and　runs　off　into　trills　and　quavers　like　the　song　sparrow's；　only　much　more　touching。〃　Colorado　miners　tell　that　this　sparrow；　like　its　white…throated　relative；　sings　on　the　darkest　nights。　Often　a　score　or　more　birds　are　heard　singing　at　once　after　the　habit　of　the　European　nightingales；　which；　however；　choose　to　sing　only　in　the　moonlight。


WHITE…THROATED　SPARROW　（Zonotrichia　albicollis）　Finch　family

Called　also：　PEABODY　BIRD；　CANADA　SPARROW

Length　　6。75　to　7　inches。　Larger　than　the　English　sparrow。　Male　and　Female　　A　black　crown　divided　by　narrow　white　line。　　　Yellow　spot　before　the　eye；　and　a　white　line；　apparently　　　running　through　it；　passes　backward　to　the　nape。　Conspicuous　　　white　throat。　Chestnut　back；　varied　with　black　and　whitish。　　　Breast　gray；　growing　lighter　underneath。　Wings　edged　with　　　rufous　and　with　two　white　cross…bars。　Range　　Eastern　North　America。　Nests　from　Michigan　and　　　Massachusetts　northward　to　Labrador。　Winters　from　southern　New　　　England　to　Florida。　Migrations　　April。　October。　Abundant　during　migrations；　and　in　　　many　States　a　winter　resident。

〃I…I；　Pea…body；　Pea…body；　Pea…body；〃　are　the　syllables　of　the　white…throat's　song　heard　by　the　good　New　Englanders；　who　have　a　tradition　that　you　must　either　be　a　Peabody　or　a　nobody　there；　while　just　over　the　British　border　the　bird　is　distinctly　understood　to　say；　〃Swee…e…e…t　Can…a…da；　Can…a…da；　Can…a　da。〃　〃All　day；　whit…tle…ing；　whit…tle…ing；　whit…tle…ing；〃　the　Maine　people　declare　he　sings；　and　Hamilton　Gibson　told　of　a　perplexed　farmer；　Peverly　by　name；　who；　as　he　stood　in　the　field　undecided　as　to　what　crop　to　plant；　clearly　heard　the　bird　advise；　〃Sow　wheat；　Pev…er…ly；　Pev…er…ly；　Pev…er…ly。〃　Such　divergence　of　opinion；　which　is　really　slight　compared　with　the　verbal　record　of　many　birds'　songs；　only　goes　to　show　how　little　the　sweetness　of　birds'　music；　like　the　perfume　of　a　rose；　depends　upon　a　name。

In　a　family　not　distinguished　for　good　looks；　the　white…throated　sparrow　is　conspicuously　handsome；　especially　after　the　spring　moult。　In　midwinter　the　feathers　grow