. Birds of California; an introduction to more than three hundred common birds of the state and adjacent islands, with a supplementary list of rare migrants, accidental visitants, and hypothetical subspecies . PREDOMINATING 241 / ;//>i4 tions he wears dark brown, while on the sands of theextreme south border he is ahnost chiy-color. But thehabits and song remain unchanged. Thoreau decLaresthe Massachusetts maidens hear him say, Maids, maids,maids, hang on your tea-kettle, tea-kettle, ettle-ettle,and this is exactly the advice hegives to campers in the sierraswhen the first rays of the sunst
. Birds of California; an introduction to more than three hundred common birds of the state and adjacent islands, with a supplementary list of rare migrants, accidental visitants, and hypothetical subspecies . PREDOMINATING 241 / ;//>i4 tions he wears dark brown, while on the sands of theextreme south border he is ahnost chiy-color. But thehabits and song remain unchanged. Thoreau decLaresthe Massachusetts maidens hear him say, Maids, maids,maids, hang on your tea-kettle, tea-kettle, ettle-ettle,and this is exactly the advice hegives to campers in the sierraswhen the first rays of the sunstrike the tops of thepine trees. Day has be-gun for bird and bird-lover. Then if you risequickly and steal downto the edge of a moun-tain brook you may catchhim at his bath. What-ever the locality or thesubspecies, do not ex-pect to see him at anygreat distance fromwater, for he is an in-veterate splasher. Ihave seen him dip intoa puddle whose edgeswere crusted with iceand apparently enjoy it as well as a bath in the heatof a July day. W^hen alarmed, his first impulse is to dart downwardinto the friendly shelter of bushes, pumping his expres-sive tail vigorously as he flies. But in rising from the ^ 16. 581 a. Desert Song Spauuow. Tn rain or shine, he is the same jollyfellow. 242 LAND BIRDS ground he hops from twig to twig and seldom, if ever,flies in any direction but doAvnward or straight ahead. Unlike some of the sparrow family, these birds do nottravel in compact flocks. If several individuals are to-gether, they are usually part of a scattered band that isworking its way to or from the nesting ground. Tlie nests and nesting habits of all the various sub-species are so alike that one description will apply toall. The structure is usually near the ground, and oftenon it, with very little effort at concealment. Incubationlasts twelve days, and is shared by the male to a limitedextent; but as soon as the little ones emerge from theshell the greater part of the labor of caring f
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectbirds, bookyear1904
