. Useful birds and their protection. Containing brief descriptions of the more common and useful species of Massachusetts, with accounts of their food habits, and a chapter on the means of attracting and protecting birds. Birds; Birds. BIRDS OF FIELD AND GARDEN. 303 as it destroys May beetles, leaf hoppers, and sawflies. It eats more useful insects than some other Sparrows, and takes a good many spiders, some ants, and some earthworms. It also eats the seeds of many weeds, but feeds largely on the seeds of grasses and a little grain, mostly oats. A dozen of these Sparrows collected in a wheat
. Useful birds and their protection. Containing brief descriptions of the more common and useful species of Massachusetts, with accounts of their food habits, and a chapter on the means of attracting and protecting birds. Birds; Birds. BIRDS OF FIELD AND GARDEN. 303 as it destroys May beetles, leaf hoppers, and sawflies. It eats more useful insects than some other Sparrows, and takes a good many spiders, some ants, and some earthworms. It also eats the seeds of many weeds, but feeds largely on the seeds of grasses and a little grain, mostly oats. A dozen of these Sparrows collected in a wheat field had eaten no wheat, but were feeding on weed seed. The Field Sparrow, though less valuable to the farmer than some other species, is useful, and fills a place of its own. Chipping Sparrow. Chippy. Chipper. Chip Bird. Hair Bird. Spizella socialis. Length. — Five to five and one-half inches. Adult. — Crown bright reddish-brown; back brown, dark-streaked; a light-gray line over the eye, a blackish line through it; cheeks and under parts light gray or pale ash; tail slightly notched. Young. —Breast, sides, and top of head streaked. West.—Lined with hair; in a hush, vine, or tree. Eggs.—Light bluish, with a ring of dark spots around the larger end. Season. — April to October. This is the little dooryard bird that nests in the apple trees about the house, and picks up crumbs on the old stone door- step. It is common in village dooryards, along the roads, in orchards, pastures, and particularly in gardens and plowed lands. It holds the distinction of being the most familiar and useful of all Spar- rows in the yard and garden. Unlike some other Sparrows, it is often found r . Fig. 134. — Chipping far from bushy coverts, in the very cen- sparrow, about one-naif . « i n r* -i n natural size. ter of plowed fields. The song of the Chipping Sparrow is a mere string of dry chips, sometimes repeated very rapidly and almost running into a trill, sometimes more slowly. On a
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