The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-04-05

group we are considering. is the
largest of all. To IL finches, sparrows,
bunting, grosbeaks and towhees be-
sides many others. belong. From this
family | have selected an even dozen
to be mentioned. So many have been
fixed upon. not because they are mu-
sicians which compel attention, but
partly at least, because in their habits
and mode of life they take us to differ
ent and differing conditions.
The first two of this list may be as
ISOLATED, not because their habits are
alike, but mainly because their songs
have somewhat in common, and they
have marks Of resemblance in color.
These birds are the purple finch and
the house finch.
Purple Finch and House Finch.
The purple inch is a mountain-Iov-
ing species. 1t comes early in the
spring, pauses for a few DAYS in the
valleys. that il may refresh its mem
DRY as TO the taste of the opening buds
In the prune and other orchards: and
then. leaving but the memory of its
song, passes on to greater attitudes.
where in the mountain parks il re-
mains during the summer to rear its
hand. is much more social bird
Though, for the most part, these birds
move TO the southwark a little way.
yet not few of them are residents
They, too, love buds; but they do no
damage that is worth considering. And
they have so many admira BILE traits.
They love TO come close about the
house early i'm the spring. and at other
times. for the matter of that, and their
song is a most attractive little MARBLE
If it were not for the English sparrow
these birds would build Familiarity
about the ranch or lot. They take to
city life as readily, almost, as do the
hated foreigner, and they have none
of that birds malodorous ways On
the morning of the San Francisco
earthquake. when the newsboys were
calling Extras, all about the earth
quake, and excitement was at a high
pitch, i was drawn from the interior
OF Boyd Parks jewelry store by the
unmistaka bic music of this finch. Step
ping outside and looking up, there just
over the doorway on a small projecting
shelf was house finch, its throat and
body swelling with the song which it
was pouring out without stint into the
midst of the hustle and turmoil of that
busy street. These birds ara highly
of weed seeds that one of these birds
will eat seems well nigh incredible. On
the 4th of last July / shot several of
these birds, and found them literally
stuffed with Wild mustard seed. So
filled with this seed were the birds that
when they fell. upon being shot. and
their bills opened, the yellow petals
ran out on the ground.
Native sparrows.
The lark sparrow. another member
OF this amily-sometimes known as
the snake bird" because of its no.
ticeable streakings-is widely distrib-
uted in our state, and is no mean per-
former among musicians. / have met
with it over in the Strawberry valley,
along the Duchesne over by the Lake
Fork bridge, as we'll as nearer and
about settlements in different parts of
the state. This bird seems equally at
home. whatever its surroundings.
There are three sparrows-whose
ability as musicians entitle them to a
place here-for which l have time only
to name. They are the white-crowned
sparrow, a bird that comes early in
the spring, and is to be found i'm rather
moist places and along the edges of
pastures These do not remain long
In the lower attitudes, but move on up
among the mountains and into the
mountain parks. where / have found
them breeding in July. The desert
sparrow and the sage sparrow. as their
names indicate, take us into the re-
gions specified. The first of these will
take up a position in the top of a bush.
throw back his head and sing as per-
sistently and sweetiy as though he had
all the world for an audience The
second reserves his music, for the most
part, till breeding time; then he, too,
will mount q sagebrush, and from its
top fling out his ringing. exquisitely
sweet song. as though it were for the
multitude instead of for his mate sit
ting quietly on the nest nearby.
The Song Sparrow.
OF course. the song sparrow must be
given a place here. In one form or
other this hardy. CHEEKY little fellow is
to be found in practically every part