bird neighbors-第30节

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s；　northern　United　States；　occasional　　　in　Middle　States；　abundant　in　winter　as　far　as　Kansas　and　the　　　Rocky　Mountains。　Migrations　　Winter　visitors；　rarely　resident；　and　without　a　　　Fixed　season。

This　arctic　bird；　although　considered　somewhat　rare　with　us；　when　seen　at　all　in　midwinter　is　in　such　large　flocks　that；　before　its　visit　in　the　neighborhood　is　ended；　and　because　there　are　so　few　other　birds　about；　it　becomes　delightfully　familiar　as　it　nimbly　runs　over　the　frozen　ground；　picking　up　grain　that　has　blown　about　from　the　barn；　when　the　seeds　of　the　field　are　buried　under　snow。　This　lack　of　fear　through　sharp　hunger；　that　often　drives　the　shyest　of　the　birds　to　our　very　doors　in　winter；　is　as　pathetic　as　it　is　charming。　Possibly　it　is　not　so　rare　a　bird　as　we　think；　for　it　is　often　mistaken　for　some　of　the　sparrows；　the　shore　larks；　and　the　snow　buntings；　that　it　not　only　resembles；　but　whose　company　it　frequently　keeps；　or　for　one　of　the　other　longspurs。

At　all　seasons　of　the　year　a　ground　bird；　you　may　readily　identify　the　Lapland　longspur　by　its　tracks　through　the　snow；　showing　the　mark　of　the　long　hind　claw　or　spur。　In　summer　we　know　little　or　nothing　about　it；　for；　with　the　coming　of　the　flowers；　it　is　off　to　the　far　north；　where；　we　are　told；　it　depresses　its　nest　in　a　bed　of　moss　upon　the　ground；　and　lines　it　with　fur　shed　from　the　coat　of　the　arctic　fox。


CHIPPING　SPARROW　（Spizella　socialis）　Finch　family

Called　also：　CHIPPY；　HAIR…BIRD；　CHIP…BIRD；　SOCIAL　SPARROW

Length　　5　to　5。5　inches。　An　inch　shorter　than　the　English　　　sparrow。　Male　　Under　the　eye；　on　the　back　of　the　neck；　underneath；　and　　　on　the　lower　back　ash…gray。　Gray　stripe　over　the　eye；　and　a　　　blackish　brown　one　apparently　through　it。　Dark　red…brown　crown。　　　Back　brown；　slightly　rufous；　and　feathers　streaked　with　black。　　　Wings　and　tail　dusty　brown。　Wing…bars　not　conspicuous。　Bill　　　black。　Female　　Lacks　the　chestnut　color　on　the　crown；　which　is　　　Streaked　with　black。　In　winter　the　frontlet　is　black。　Bill　　　brownish。　Range　　North　America；　from　Newfoundland　to　the　Gulf　of　Mexico　　　And　westward　to　the　Rockies。　Winters　in　Gulf　States　and　Mexico。　　　Most　common　in　eastern　United　States。　Migrations　　April。　October。　Common　summer　resident；　many　birds　　　remaining　all　the　year　from　southern　New　England　southward。

Who　does　not　know　this　humblest；　most　unassuming　little　neighbor　that　comes　hopping　to　our　very　doors；　this　mite　of　a　bird　with　〃one　talent〃　that　it　so　persistently　uses　all　the　day　and　every　day　throughout　the　summer？　Its　high；　wiry　trill；　like　the　buzzing　of　the　locust；　heard　in　the　dawn　before　the　sky　grows　even　gray；　or　in　the　middle　of　the　night；　starts　the　morning　chorus；　and　after　all　other　voices　are　hushed　in　the　evening；　its　tremolo　is　the　last　bed…song　to　come　from　the　trees。　But　however　monotonous　such　cheerfulness　sometimes　becomes　when　we　are　surfeited　with　real　songs　from　dozens　of　other　throats；　there　are　long　periods　of　midsummer　silence　that　it　punctuates　most　acceptably。

Its　call…note；　chip！　chip！　from　which　several　of　its　popular　names　are　derived；　is　altogether　different　from　the　trill　which　must　do　duty　as　a　song　to　express　love；　contentment；　everything　that　so　amiable　a　little　nature　might　feel　impelled　to　voice。

But　with　all　its　virtues；　the　chippy　shows　lamentable　weakness　of　character　in　allowing　its　grown　children　to　impose　upon　it；　as　it　certainly　does。　In　every　group　of　these　birds　throughout　the　summer　we　can　see　young　ones　（which　we　may　know　by　the　black　line…stripes　on　their　breasts）　hopping　around　after　their　parents；　that　are　often　no　larger　or　more　able…bodied　than　they；　and　teasing　to　be　fed；　drooping　their　wings　to　excite　pity　for　a　helplessness　that　they　do　not　possess　when　the　weary　little　mother　hops　away　from　them；　and　still　persistently　chirping　for　food　until　she　weakly　relents；　returns　to　them；　picks　a　seed　from　the　ground　and　thrusts　it　down　the　bill　of　the　sauciest　teaser　in　the　group。　With　two　such　broods　in　a　season　the　chestnut　feathers　on　the　father's　jaunty　head　might　well　turn　gray。

Unlike　most　of　the　sparrows；　the　little　chippy　frequents　high　trees；　where　its　nest　is　built　quite　as　often　as　in　the　low　bushes　of　the　garden。　The　horse…hair；　which　always　lines　the　grass〃　up　that　holds　its　greenish…blue；　speckled　eggs；　is　alone　responsible　for　the　name　hair…bird；　and　not　the　chippy's　hair…like　trill；　as　some　suppose。


ENGLISH　SPARROW　（Passer　domesticus）　Finch　family

Called　also：　HOUSE　SPARROW　＇AOU　1998＇

Length　　6。33　inches。　Male　　Ashy　above；　with　black　and　chestnut　stripes　on　back　and　　　shoulders。　Wings　have　chestnut　and　white　bar；　bordered　by　faint　　　black　line。　Gray　crown；　bordered　from　the　eye　backward　and　on　　　the　nape　by　chestnut。　Middle　of　throat　and　breast　black。　　　Underneath　grayish　white。　Female　　Paler；　wing…bars　indistinct；　and　without　the　black　　　marking　on　throat　and　breast。　Range　　Around　the　world。　Introduced　and　naturalized　in　America；　　　Australia；　New　Zealand。　Migrations　　Constant　resident。

〃Of　course；　no　self…respecting　ornithologist　will　condescend　to　enlarge　his　list　by　counting　in　the　English　sparrow　　too　pestiferous　to　mention；〃　writes　Mr。　H。　E。　Parkhurst；　and　yet　of　all　bird　neighbors　is　any　one　more　within　the　scope　of　this　book　than　the　audacious　little　gamin　that　delights　in　the　companion　ship　of　humans　even　in　their　most　noisy　city　thoroughfares？

In　a　bulletin　issued　by　the　Department　of　Agriculture　it　is　shown　that　the　progeny　of　a　single　pair　of　these　sparrows　might　amount　to　275；716；983；698　in　ten　years！　Inasmuch　as　many　pairs　were　liberated　in　the　streets　of　Brooklyn；　New　York；　in　1851；　when　the　first　importation　was　made；　the　day　is　evidently　not　far　off　when　these　birds；　by　no　means　meek；　〃shall　inherit　the　earth。〃

In　Australia　Scotch　thistles；　English　sparrows；　and　rabbits；　three　most　unfortunate　importations；　have　multiplied　with　equal　rapidity　until　serious　alarm　fills　the　minds　of　the　colonists。　But　in　England　a　special　committee　appointed　by　the　House　of　Commons　to　investigate　the　character　of　the　alleged　pest　has　yet　to　learn　whether　the　sparrow's　services　as　an　insect…destroyer　do　not　outweigh　the　injury　it　does　to　fruit　and　grain。


FIELD　SPARROW　（Spizella　pusilla）　Finch　family

Called　also：　FIELD　BUNTING；　WOOD　SPARROW；　BUSH　SPARROW

Length　　5。5　to　5。75　inches。　A　little　smaller　than　the　English　　　sparrow。　Male　　Chestnut　crown。　Upper　back　bright　chestnut；　finely　　　streaked　with　black　and　ashy　brown。　Lower　back　more　grayish。　　　Whitish　wing…bars。　Cheeks；　line　over　the　eye；　throat；　pale　　　brownish　drab。　Tail　long。　Underneath　grayish　white；　tinged　with　　　palest　buff　on　breast　and　sides。　Bill　reddish。　Female　　Paler；　the　crown　edged　with　grayish。　Range　　North　America；　from　British　provinces　to　the　Gulf；　and　　　westward　to　the　plains。　Winters　from　Illinois　and　Virginia　　　southward。　Migrations　　April。　November。　Common　summer　　　resident。

Simply　because　both　birds　have　chestnut　crowns；　the　field　sparrow　is　often　mistaken　for　the　dapper；　sociable　chippy；　and；　no　doubt　because　it　loves　such　heathery；　grassy　pastures　as　are　dear　to　the　vesper　sparrow；　and　has　bay　wings　and　a　sweet　song；　these　two　cousins　also　are　often　confused。　The　field　sparrow　has　a　more　reddish…brown　upper　back　than　any　of　its　small　relatives；　the　absence　of　streaks　on　its　breast　and　of　the　white　tail　quills　so　conspicuous　in　the　vesper　sparrow's　flight；　sufficiently　differentiate　the　two　birds；　while　the　red　bill　of　the　field　sparrow　is　a　positive　mark　of　identification。

This　bird　of　humble　nature；　that　makes　the　scrubby　pastures　and　uplands　tuneful　from　early　morning　until　after　sunset；　flies　away　with　exasperating　shyness　as　you　approach。　Alighting　on　a　convenient　branch；　he　lures　you　on　with　his　clear；　sweet　song。　Follow　him；　and　he　only　hops　about　from　bush　to　bush；　farther　and　farther　away；　singing　as　he　goes　a　variety　of　strains；　which　is　one　of　the　bird's　peculiarities。　The　song　not　only　varies　in　individuals；　but　in　different　localities；　which　may　be　one　reason　why　no　two　ornithologists　record　it　alike。　Doubtless　the　chief　reason　for　the　amusing　differences　in　the　syllables　into　which　the　songs　of　birds　are　often　translated　in　the　books；　is　that　the　same　Notes　actually　sound　differently　to　different　individuals。　Thus；　to　people　in　Massachusetts　the　white…throated　sparrow　seems　to　say；　〃Pea…bod…y；　Pea…bod…y；　Pea…bod…y！〃　while　good　British　subjects　beyond　the　New　England　border　hear　him　sing　quite　distinctly；　〃Sweet　Can…a…da；　Can…a…da；　Can…a…da！〃　But　however　the　opinions　as　to　the　syllables　of　the　field　sparrow's　song　may　differ；　all　are　agreed　as　to　its　exquisite　quality；　that　resembles　the　vesper　sparrow's　tender；　sweet　melody。　The　song　begins　with　three　soft；　wild　whistles；　and　ends　with　a　series　of　trills　and　quavers　that　gradually　melt　away　into　silence：　a　serene　and　restful　strain　as　soothing　as　a　hymn。　Like　the　vesper　sparrows；　these　birds　sometimes　build　a　plain；　grassy　nest；　unprotected　by　over　hanging　bush；　flat　upon　the　ground。　Possibly　from　a　prudent　tear　of　field…mice　and　snakes；　the　little　mother　most　frequently　lays　her　bluish…white；　rufous　　marked　eggs　in　a　nest　placed　in　a　bush　of　a　bushy　field。　Hence　John　Burroughs　has　called　the　bird　the　'