Identifier: birdlifeguidetos00chapman (find matches)
Title: Bird-life; a guide to the study of our common birds
Year: 1897 (1890s)
Authors: Chapman, Frank M. (Frank Michler), 1864-1945 Seton, Ernest Thompson, 1860-1946
Subjects: Birds
Publisher: New York : D. Appleton and company
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Smithsonian Libraries

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ith us throughout the year, somecome from the South in early spring and remain untilsnow falls, others come from the far North to pass thewinter; so that at no season of the year are we withoutnumbers of these cheery birds. Fortunately, some of ourbest songsters are members of this family. Their musicis less emotional than that of the Thrushes, but it hasa happier ring—the music for every day. It is the Song Sparrow who in February opens the Song Sparrow season of soiig, and it is the Song Meiocpisa/asciata. Sparrow who in November sings its Plate XLI. closing notcs ; nor, except during a part of August, has his voice once been missing from the choir. His modest chant always suggests good cheer andcontentment, but heard in silent February it seems thedivinest bird lay to which mortal ever listened. Themagic of his voice bridges the cold months of earlyspring ; as we listen to him the brown fields seem green,flowers bloom, and the bare branches become clad withsoftly rustling leaves.
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Plate XLII. SWAMP SPARROW. Length, 590 inches. Sununer plumage, crown bright chestnut; back black,brown, and bufi ; breast grayish ; belly white ; sides brownish. Winterplumage^ similar, but crown streaked with chestnut-brown, black, and gray. 179 180 SWxVMP SPARR()\V. You can not go far afield without meeting this singer.He is not only our commonest Sparrow, l>nt one of ourcommonest birds. Generally you will find liim on ornear the ground at the border of some undergrowth,and if there be water near by, preferably a meadowbrook, his presence is assured. When flushed he willdoubtless make for the nearest thicket, pumping histail, as Thompson expressively says, in describing hissomewhat jerky flight. Now he questions you with amildly impatient ddm)) or trliili, a call-note not to bemistaken for that of any other species, when once youhave learned it. Equally diagnostic is the birds spottedbreast with one larger spot in its center. The Song Sparrows nest is usually placed on theground

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