Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1911-05-31

AHt uTpit r INCH.
BY Mabel ossood Wright. Published by the
| National Association OF Audubon societies.l
The family OF sparrows and finches, like
that of the wsrblers, blackbirds and
orioles, offers such an infinite variety of
species and disports Sc many contrsdic-
tory fashions in the cut OF beaks and
tin.ing OF piumage that when we have
even allowing acquaintance with it we feel
that we have really entered the realm OF
bird knowledge.
In addition to its rarity, family Fringa-
iidae is the largest OF all bird families,
numbering some five hundred and fifty
species, that inhabit all parts of the
world except Australia. The one point
that binds them together which the un-
trained may discover Is the stout bill,
conical in shape, with great power for seed
crushing. For, first and last, all OF the
tribe are seed-eaters, and though in the
nesting season much animal food is eaten
by adults az well as fed to the young, and
tree buds and fruits are also rclished, the
tribe of finches and sparrows can live we'll
upon seeds-seeds Of weeds, the seeds con-
cealed between the scales OF pine-cones
fruits that are called berries.
This ability to pick living at any sea-
son OF the year that the seeded weeds OF
waste fields and roadsides are uncovered
makes what ars called .'permanent resi-
dents OF many species of sparrows, and
causes them, when they migrate, to still
keep to a more restricted circle than their
insect-eating brethren. Also, alas. this
seed-eatingiquality, coupled with bsauty
OF plumage and voice, has made them ia
vorite cage birds the world over. Hap
PLY, freedom has now come to them in
this country, together with all our birds,
and as far as the Law may protect them
they are safe, though the latest reports
say that small consignments OF mocking-
birds and cardinals are still smuggled over
seas by way OF Hamburger.
Run over the list Of prominent members
OF the family Of dnches and sparrows.
Call them by memory il you can; II not,
tAAc UUOk aua lOOA Autlu up.
The sparrows are clad in shades OF
brown more or less streaked, and their
dull colors protect them amid the grasses
in which they feed and lodge. The birds
OF brighter plumsge are Obliged to look
out for themselves, rs 1t were, and keep
nearer the sky, where their colors are lost
in the blaze OF light.
First to be remembered are the birds
that wear more or less red-the cardinal,
the rose breasted grosbesk, the redpolls,
crossbills, the pine grosbeak and the
purple finch (who Is no more purple than
be is blue or Yellow.
Then come three birds who would seem
original and striking in any family-the
indigo bunting, the southern blue gros-
beak and the beautiful painted bunting or
nonpareil, gay in blue, gold, red and green
plumes.
Red and blue--then yellow must follow
Is natural sequence, to complete the pri-
mary colors. II is 4 fact, in the floral
kingdom, that the three primary colors
never exist naturally without artificial
hybridization in one family; thus, there
are red and yellow roses, but no blue; red
and blue verbenas, but no yellow, and so
on.
In the sparrow family, however, we have
the three primary colors in all their purity
the American goldHnch clad in pure gold
and the dickcissel Of the yellow breast,
together with the yellow wing and tail
marks OF the pine siskin, supplying the
\. I'D IT, 49,
alone, q blending Of brilliant black above,
white below, with chestnut sides and red
eye. The chippy, song and field sparrows
are typical OF the color-protective family
type. The white outer tail quilts are an in
dex to the vesper sparrow; the same white
quilts ana q white vest name the slate
colored junco. The -throated spar
row has his name plainly printed under
his beak, and the white-crowned sparrow
writes his in his white head-stripe, while
the rusty brown fox sparrow is known
both by size and color.
The purple finch-wbich, have said, Is
not purple, but, when in full plumage,
washed with . rich rAspberry-red, deepest
on breast, crown and rump, light breast,
brownish black, wings and tails one OF
the notable members Of the family. Its
bill is heavy and round, approaching in
size those Of the grosbeaks, while in body
it ranks with song and house sparrows.
Besides having heavy bill that suggests
the grosbeak, it has way OF bristling the
feathers Of its crown that sometimes gives
it the aggressive mien of the cardinal;
while its clicking callnote and way OF fly
ing in scattered fiocks, and the fact that
it is with US in winter, cause it to be
sometimes mistaken in the distance for
one of the crossbills.
One would think that, with its rich col
oring and the fact that it is Q winter
resident in many parts of its range, this
finch would be well-known bird; yet