SONG-BIRDS. Sparrows
in all. They were climbing up the sloping sides, picking seeds from the coarse grasses and weeds which served as covering for the finer hay. The Longspurs, as well as the Horned Larks that were with them, were so hungry and intent upon feeding that they were not in the least dis- turbed, even though they must have seen me plainly. This lack of fear produced by hunger often gives the winter birds an air of charming familiarity, and, though both win- ter residents and. visitors are comparatively few, a little food, suited to their various needs, wisely scattered about the door and around the hayricks and sheds, will bring you a troop of grateful guests to whisper cheerfully, even if they do not sing to you.
Vesper Sparrow: Poocwtes gramineus. Bay-winged Bunting. Pr,er 29. Fit}. 1.
Length: 5.75—6.25 inches.
Male and Female: Above brown, varied with dusky. Lesser wing coverts bright buy. Below soiled white, striped everywhere except on the belly with brown. No yellow anywhere. Outer tail feathers partly white, appearing conspicuously like two white quills when the bird flies. Upper mandible brown; lower and feet yellowish flesh—coloured.
Song: Sweet and clear, less loud than the Song Sparrow's, — ” Chewee- chewee-cheewee, tiralira—lira-lee ! "
Season: Common summer resident; April to October.
Breeds : From Virginia, Kentucky, and Missouri northward.
Nest: Sunk to the rim in the grass or ground, quite deep ; of grasses; as carefully made as if it were a tree nest.
Eggs : 4-6, thickly mottled and spotted with brown.
Range: Eastern North America to the Plains; from Nova Scotia and Ontario southward.
This is the Sparrow which is identified by the red~brown shoulders and the two white tail quills, and who, though living near the ground, often soars singing into the air. Its song, though less constantly heard, is as familiar as the Song Sparrow’s, and its habit of singing from late afternoon until twilight has given it the name of Vesper Sparrow. ‘
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