File:Bird neighbors. An introductory acquaintance with one hundred and fifty birds commonly found in the gardens, meadows, and woods about our homes (1903) (14752124231).jpg

Identifier: cu31924000138804 (find matches)
Title: Bird neighbors. An introductory acquaintance with one hundred and fifty birds commonly found in the gardens, meadows, and woods about our homes
Year: 1903 (1900s)
Authors: Blanchan, Neltje, 1865-1918
Subjects: Birds
Publisher: New York, Doubleday, Page & Co.
Contributing Library: Cornell University Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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e we everget, outside of a museum, to study the birds characteristics ofplumage. Both the sharp-tailed and the seaside finches are crepus-cular, says Dr. Abbott, in The Birds About Us. They runup and down the reeds and on the waters edge long after mostbirds have gone to sleep. Song Sparrow (Melospi^afasciataJ Finch family Length—d to 6.5 inches. About the same size as the Englishsparrow. 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 onbreast. 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 thenorth all the year. Here is a veritable bird neighbor, if ever there was one ; athome in our gardens and hedges, not often farther away than the 158
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Brown, Olive or Grayish Brown, and Brown and Gray Sparrowy Birds roadside, abundant everywhere during nearly every month in theyear, and yet was there ever one too many ? There is scarcely anhour in the day, too, when its delicious, ecstatic song may notbe heard ; in the darkness of midnight, just before dawn, whenits voice is almost the first to respond to the chipping sparrowswiry trill and the robins warble ; in the cool of the morning, theheat of noon, the hush of evening—ever the simple, homely,sweet melody that every good American has learned to love inchildhood. What the bird lacks in beauty it abundantly makesup in good cheer. Not at all retiring, though never bold, itchooses some conspicuous perch on a bush or tree to deliver itsoutburst of song, and sings away with serene unconsciousness.Its artlessness is charming. Thoreau writes in his Summerthat the country girls in Massachusetts hear the bird say : Maids,maids, maids, hang on your teakettle, teahettle-ettle-ettle. Thec

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