The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1903-05-30
THE SONG SPARROW.


Sweetest of the early minstrels of
spring, most varied and most misical-
ly industrious is the song sparrow.
1t is to be found in the city parks by
those who know how and where to
look for it, though naturally it is an
inhabitant of the fields and open
spaces of woods.
This is an inconsiderable bird,
about the height and length of the
English sparrow, but slenderer and
without the bullet, pugnacious John
Bull head. 1t is brown of back,
wings and head, like the English
sparrow, but is to be identified readi-
ly by he speckled breast, which has
a single black spot low down in the
centre.
The song sparrow is seldom seen
upon trees, and very rarely high up.
1t perches generally upon the ground,
or upon some low bush or dead tree
top. When disturbed, it dives in
stantly into low brush or other thick
cover, flirting its tail as it goes, and
once there sets up Immediately a faint
cheep-cheep of alarm. 1t has every
confidence in its ability to hide, how
ever, and if it thinks itself securely
concealed, will often sing when the
listener is standing within a yard.
For vocal exercise the bird pre-
fers stump, or the limb Of sapling
not more than ten feet from the
ground. If the sun be shining upon
it, so much the better. Of dark,
damp days it is almost wholly silent.
A suitable perch being found, it
will sit for half an hour at a stretch
and go through its repertory. This
is one of the most extensive of all the
wild songsters. 1t is surpassed only
by some members of the thrush fami-
ly, and by not all of them.
1t has many notes and these notes
are broken into several arrangements,
which, are never mixed and never
varied, just as if a minstrel sparrow
wrote lot of songs ages ago and
censor sparrow selected those which
were fit for public hearing, excluding
all OF the rest by the simple process
Of destroying the manuscripts and
killing the composer.
If let alone, the singer will sing
everything that it knows, and then,
if not satisfied, will sing them over
again, being in this respect much like
uniim1ted NUMBER OF turns SO long as
there is handicap and the manage
ment does not interfere. Each song
consists of half dozen notes and half
notes, beginning with faint peep or
two and ending with joyous thrill,
as if the performer were so happy be-
cause of its skill that it could not kelp
showing it.
These notes are very easily trans
cribed by person who has a good
ear and a technical knowledge of
music and may be reproduced with
exactness as to pitch and gradation
upon piano, though, of course, the
quality would be lacking.
While the song sparrow sings his
tunes every day, and over and over
again through the day, it seems that
it is never certain when leaving one
tune and beginning another that it
is going to get it right, for always the
bird begins it with a feeble, uncertain,
tentative effort, trying itself out, as it
were. The notes ring true and in
proper succession, however, and mo-
met afterward the sparrow bursts into
full song, relieved by the removal of
its doubts.
The voice is singular1y sweet and
winning and it is remarkably power
full for so small body. The song
sparrow may be heard distinctly on a
still day for more than a quarter of a
mile and may be found by the search
er walking slowly in the direction
whence the sound comes.
Once within forty yards, the OBJ
server must proceed with softness
duQ SACdC (dACJ VI IllC u1uSlIGI Will
disappear with headlong dive and
tail-hirt.
The tone is high, clear, pure and
with a moving. liquid quality. 1t is
not so powerful, enthralling and mys-
terious as the full tide of melody
which pours from the hidden throat
of the hermit thrush, but is thorough
ly attractive, and certain of the notes
have bell-like resonance that ling
ers on the ear when the singer has
ceased.
The most valuable feature of the
song sparrow's performance is that,
like the mocking bird, it does not
seem to sing consciously. When it
has its melodic bearings the notes
pour, trill or tumble out with no ap-
parent effort on the part of the sing
er. They seem literally to sing them
selves.
Once in while-once in a great
while-a woman is found who sings
this fashion. Listeners say that she
sings like bird. They mean that
she sings like song sparrow.
APPROPRIATE TEXT. Gilt sur