Washington, abundant W.V., Oct.-Apl. 1. Ossining, common W.V., Oct. 10-Apl. 27. Cambridge, common W.V., abundant T.V., Oct. 25-Nov. 25; Mch. 20-Apl. 20. N. Ohio, abundant W.V., Oct. 24-May 3. Glen Ellyn, common W.V., Oct. 4-Apl. 28. SE. Minn., common T.V., Oct. 6-May 5; a few winter.
From October to April companies of Tree Sparrows harvest the season's crop of weed seeds, feeding usually near woods or hedge-rows to which they go to rest and roost. Their merry chatter is one of the season's most cheerful notes, and in the spring we may hear their canary-like song.
CHIPPING SPARROW
Spizella passerina passerina. [Case 4], Fig. 45; [Case 5], Fig. 31
In summer, the chestnut cap, black bill, and whitish line over the eye mark the 'Chippy'; but in the fall and winter the crown is like the back, the line over the eye is brownish, and the bill is brown; but the gray rump, shown well in flight, is a good character the year around. L. 5½.
Range. Nests from Georgia and Mississippi to Canada; winters from South Carolina to the Gulf.
Washington, common S.R., abundant T.V., Mch. 9-Nov. 11, occasionally winters. Ossining, common S.R., Apl. 5-Nov. 7. Cambridge, abundant S.R., Apl. 12-Oct. 25. N. Ohio, abundant S.R., Mch. 23-Oct. 10. Glen Ellyn, not very common S.R., Apl. 5-Nov. 5. SE. Minn., common S.R., Apl. 8-Oct. 26.
The friendly Chippy is the most familiar and domestic of any of our native Sparrows. He makes tentative visits to our piazzas and, cats permitting, will take up his residence there, building a neat, hair-lined nest in the vines or a nearby bush. Unassuming in voice as he is in manner, his Chippy-chippy-chippy, many times repeated, expresses contentment, even if it does not attain high musical rank. Madame Chippy has fine taste in eggs, laying, in early May, little blue gems, beautifully marked with brown or black.
CLAY-COLORED SPARROW
Spizella pallida. [Case 6], Fig. 48
The Clay-colored Sparrow resembles a winter Chipping Sparrow, but is paler and has a white line over the eye and a brownish rump. L. 5½.
Range. Interior states east to Illinois; winters from Texas southward. SE. Minn., common S.R., Apl. 26-Oct. 19.