The field sparrow is a common summer resident, for about the same period as the "chippy." The best field mark is the reddish or flesh-colored bill. This species prefers the busy pastures and wornout fields. Its sweet song is a characteristic sound in such places. The nest is on the ground or low bushes; eggs three to five, white or bluish-white, with markings about the larger end.

The junco occurs here chiefly as a spring and fall migrant. I have noted them as early as March 7; they arrive from the north early in October. A very few individuals remain here through the winter; I saw one January 14, 1912, in company with tree sparrows. The thermometer registered 23 degrees below zero that morning. I have also observed a few pairs during the nesting season on the summit of the Uncanoonuc Mountains, and have no doubt a few breed there.

This is an abundant summer resident, coming very early in the spring, between the latter part of March and April 10. During the wild winter of 1918-19 I noted them in late February. Song sparrows have a white throat with dark spot on each side; breast white, spotted with brown and large dark blotch in center. They are probably best known by their song, a sweet and cheerful carol.

The swamp sparrow comes north a week or so later than the song sparrow, and goes south in October. It inhabits swamps and is not all well-known. It has the middle of the crown chestnut and the breast unstreaked.

Fox sparrows are spring and fall visitants. March 15 in spring and October 27 in fall are my earliest dates. The fox sparrow is one of the finest singers of all our sparrows, but we do not hear him much in passing. He is 7 1/4 inches long and may be known by the bright rufous tail, with light underparts heavily streaked and spotted with the same reddish color.

The towhee or chewink, as it is sometimes called, is a common summer resident. I have recorded it on April 26 and it stays until the first of October. It may be found in thickets where it scratches among the dry leaves. I have always found the nest on the ground, with four to five white eggs, finely speckled with shades of rufous.

The rose-breasted grosbeak was almost unknown in New England fifty years ago. It is now quite common in some parts of Goffstown, particularly about Parker Station and the village elms. This is a beautiful bird and one of our best singers, valuable also for his fondness for eating the pest known as the Colorado potato beetle. The nest is placed in low trees or bushes; eggs four to five, pale blue, marked with olive-brown.

Indigo birds arrive about the middle of May and stay until the middle of September. The male is a brilliantly-colored fellow, and sings a great deal. He apparently enjoys the hot weather, for he sings through the hottest days. I have found their nests in the roadside bushes and in cornfields; eggs three to four, pale bluish-white.

This, the most gorgeous of our northern birds, arrives north about May 18 and stays until about October first. He is not so rare as most people suppose and when one knows the song and call-note, "chip-churr," may be found easily enough. The tanager's favorite haunts are in oak woods. His food is almost entirely insectivorous, chiefly of insects that infest oak trees. Tanagers are especially common in the woods of the south Uncanoonuc Mountain. The adult male in summer is bright scarlet, with black wings and tail; the female is olive-green above and greenish-yellow below. The nest is built in trees 7 to 20 feet up; eggs three to four, greenish-blue, marked with spots of brown.

Purple martins are uncommon here. I do not know of any locality in town where they breed. They are the largest of the swallows, being 8 inches in length.

The cliff swallow arrives as early as May 5 some seasons. This species builds a curious mud nest beneath the eaves of barns on certain farms. On the farm of James F. Martin the cliff swallows have been abundant for years. On June 28, 1896, I counted seventy-eight nests under the eaves of the barn. The tail is not forked like that of the barn swallow, and the rump shows a brown spot, which helps the observer in identification.

Barn swallows are more abundant and evenly distributed than any other species of the family. I have seen them on April 16 but generally it is a week or so later. Their habits are well known.

The tree or white-bellied swallow is the earliest of the family to arrive from the south. My earliest date is March 31. It takes readily to bird boxes about buildings but a few still nest in holes in dead trees. This species may be distinguished by steel-blue or green upperparts and pure white underparts.

Bank swallows arrive early in May and are quite common wherever there are sand-banks suitable for tunneling. Their nest is made of grass and feathers in a hole in a sand-bank 2 to 3 feet from the entrance. They may be distinguished from the other swallows by their small size, brownish upperparts, white throat, and a brownish-gray band on breast.

Cedar birds are abundant in summer and are occasionally seen in winter. Except while nesting they rove about in flocks feeding on cedar or juniper berries, choke-cherries and other small fruits. While they do eat cultivated cherries to some extent, they consume such great numbers of caterpillars, cankerworms, and other insects as to more than compensate for the cherries. I have noticed that the years when the elm leaf beetle is most destructive that the cedar birds appear in larger flocks and feed on the larvae of which they are very fond. They delay nesting until the latter part of June and first of July. They nest in trees; eggs three to five, pale bluish-gray or putty-color, marked with black or umber. The adult is about 7 1/4 inches in length. He has forehead, chin and line through the eye black; conspicuous crest; upperparts grayish brown; narrow yellow band on end of tail. Often the secondaries have red sealing-wax-like tips, from which the bird is named.

This species occurs as a winter visitor from November to April. During this period it preys upon small birds, mice, and insects. In watching for his prey the shrike usually perches on a stake or small tree in the open field; upon seeing a mouse he drops with folded wings. He pursues flocks of small birds; as chickadees, sparrows and red-polls, and generally succeeds in killing some of them. He is over 10 inches in length and his colors are gray, black and white.

This species is sometimes seen in summer and resembles the northern variety in color but is small in size. I once found a pair nesting in an apple tree on Pattee Hill. The nest was made of large sticks lined with sheeps' wool and cotton and contained eggs on May 15. The young were reared and were seen until August capturing insects in the fields. These birds were not observed to kill smaller birds.

Vireos are peculiar to America. Of those reaching us the red-eyed is the most common and generally distributed. The earliest I have heard its song was May 4. The pensile nest which is made largely of birch bark is suspended from a forked branch. This bird is sometimes called the "preacher" from his incessant song, heard particularly during the hot summer days when most of the birds are silent. In the adult male the crown is slaty gray, bordered on either side by blackish; a conspicuous white line over the eye; rest of upperparts light olive-green; no wingbars; underparts pure white; iris red. Length 6.23.

Warbling vireos prefer the elms of the village and like the red-eyed are of great service in destroying insects that infest shade trees. Upperparts ashy olive-green; no wing-bars; underparts white, slightly washed with yellow. Length, 5.8 inches.

This vireo appears about the middle of May and is not uncommon in the shade trees of the town. I have observed it in the apple trees near buildings, busily engaged in freeing the trees of insects. The conspicuous mark is the bright yellow throat and breast which can be seen quite a distance. The upperparts are olive-green; two distinct wing-bars; eye ring yellow; length nearly 6 inches.

This is the first vireo to come north in the spring and the last to depart in the fall. I have heard it on April 18. It may be distinguished from the other vireos by the white lores and eye ring, bluish-gray crown and two white wing-bars. Its nest is pensile like others of the family and found in the woods 5 to 10 feet up.

This is a common summer resident. I have known it to arrive as early as April 30, but the average date is May 4. This warbler can be readily identified by its black and white streaks, and its habit of creeping about the trunks and limbs of trees in search of its food. The nest is placed on the ground usually under some overhanging object. Eggs are four to five, white, spotted with cinnamon-brown to umber, chiefly in a wreath on the larger end.

The parula or blue yellow-backed warbler I have seen on May 18 as a migrant. It is said to breed only in localities where the usnea moss grows, in which it builds. In length this species is about 4.73 inches. It has grayish-blue upperparts, a greenish-yellow patch in middle of back, yellow throat and breast, and a bluish-black or rufous band across breast.

The yellow warbler is a common summer species arriving sometimes on May 6. It is found more in the bushes by the brookside than in the woods, also in the orchards, garden, and shrubbery near dwellings. The nest, composed of cottony substances, is placed in an upright fork, usually only a few feet from the ground. I have found several nests in the elders by the brook.

This species occurs chiefly as a migrant. However, I have heard and seen them during the nesting season in the woods on the Uncanoonuc Mountains and also between Mt. Pleasant and the south mountain, so it probably breeds in that section of town. While the male can be readily identified the female is not so easy, but can be identified by the white spot on the wing.

The myrtle warbler is an abundant spring and fall migrant, especially in the fall migration. I have seen them as early as April 27 and as late as May 18. The yellow patches on crown, rump, and sides of breast are distinguishing marks.

Occurs as a migrant only, coming north about May 10 to 15.