Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-08-19

common thrOuSnOut the lengtn ana breadth of the United States, and even
 extends it's range considerably beyond the boundaries of this country.
 Although owing to climatic changes, in different parts of North America, it has a variety of forms (no less than 2I |, | known scientifically as sub-species, still,
 to all intents and purposes, it is the same
 bird from Maine to California. In the
 northeastern states it is one of our com
 monest songsters, and although the ma
 jority of them migrate to more south
 ern cline in the fall, number remain
 with us all the winter; but these are, in
 all probability, the ones that have sum
 mered farther north. At this time of the
 year, however, our little sparrow is al-
 most entirely silent, seldom ever giv-
 ing utterance to a chirp, and keeping
 close to covert. where he can be some
 what protected from the cold winds We
 are conscious of his presence only by
 catching fieeting glimpses of him as he
 glides from thicket to thicket. or dodges
 in and out of some brush pile. in color
 so closely matching the tone of the
 brush itself as to make him difficult of
 detection. He is a seed eater. and can
 always manage. even when the snow Is
 the deepest, to find enough seeds clinging
 to the dead stalks to keep him in food, 50 that there is little or no danger of his
 starving; and although he is more or a
 summer than winter bird, he is a hardy
 little fellow, and his soft. thick feathers seem to be ample protection against even
 the extremes of cold
 The color of his back, wings and tail tschestnut, streakedin places with gray and black: his under parts are white, with splashes of brown on his throat and chest Both male and female birds are marked alike, although the markings on the male are trifie stronger and the general tone of color brighter. His to- tai length from tip of bill to tip of tail is about sh inches.
 Towards the end of February those in- dividuals of this species that have spent the winter in the south begin to return and join the ranks of those who re- mained behind Then does their time of singing commence, to be continued with hardly cessation-except for a few weeks in August-until nearly the l middle of November. for theirs. of all the birds-songs. is the first to be heard l in the spring and the last in the fall The l song itself is characteristic. and once l heard can never be forgotten, although ] short and of little variation. The first | three or four notes are uttered in low ! key. but with increasing emphasis; then l with a sudden leap the singer aseends l tothe key note. sustains it for a couple | of counts. drops 10 a slightly lower key, | and suddenly stops. leaving in the mind |. of the listener the impression that he has { failed to complete his performance. The I best translation of the song into words Is given by one author as Press press press. by-trrTr-rian-ian." April is for the month of love-making. and by May l at the latest the birds are mated and must take up the serious cares of life. As a matter of fact. however. the serious ness of life never seems io strike them. md the cares sit but lightly on their shoulders. Especially is this true Of the male. for during the entire period of their home life he can always find the time to leave his duties at very frequent intervals. 10 fit 10 fhe topmost branch Df some low bush. and there pour forth his dainty little song as though from the absolute joy of living.
 The home a rather compact structure Df dead leaves. grasses. strips of grape Fine bark. pieces of dead weed stalks and txigs. roOtlets and in fact almost my like material and Tired with fife lead grasses and hOrsehairs. is usually placed on the ground. hidden in a tus- sock of grass. under a bursh pile. in ence corner, ,underthe edge of an over langinE bush. or in any such situation hat vill afford ft the proper conceal nent- Sometimes. but not 90 frequently. { Is built in low cedar or other ever -reen bush, and I have even found a iest placed in the side of a haystack- rwo. and sometimes even three. Iroods are raised in a season. and ft 5 not al all unusual to find occupied tests as late as September