382 AUDUBON 



bird. It sang for a long time ere it was shot, and perched 

 on the tops of the tallest fir-trees removing from one to 

 another as we approached. So strange, so beautiful was 

 that song that I pronounced the musician, ere it was 

 shot, a new species of Warbler. John shot it ; it fell to 

 the ground, and though the six of us looked for it we 

 could not find it, and went elsewhere; in the course of 

 the afternoon we passed by the spot again, and John found 

 it and gave it to me. We shot a new species of Finch, 

 which I have named Fringilla lincolnii ; it is allied to the 

 Swamp Sparrow in general appearance, but is considera- 

 bly smaller, and may be known at once from all others 

 thus far described, by the light buff streak which runs 

 from the base of the lower mandible, until it melts into 

 the duller buff of the breast, and by the bright ash-streak 

 over the eye. The note of this bird attracted me at once; 

 it was loud and sonorous ; the bird flew low and forward, 

 perching on the firs, very shy, and cunningly eluding our 

 pursuit; we, however, shot three, but lost one. I shall 

 draw it to-morrow.^ 



June 28. The weather shocking — rainy, foggy, dark 

 and cold. I began drawing at daylight, and finished one 

 of my new Finches and outlined another. At noon the 

 wind suddenly changed and blew hard from the north- 

 west, with heavy rain, and such a swell that I was almost 

 sea-sick, and had to abandon drawing. We dined, and 

 immediately afterward the wind came round to southwest; 

 all was bustle with us and with the "Gulnare," for we 

 both were preparing our sails and raising our anchors ere 

 proceeding to sea. We sailed, and managed so well that 

 we cleared the outer cape east of our harbor, and went 

 out to sea in good style. The " Gulnare " was not so for- 

 tunate; she attempted to beat out in vain, and returned to 



1 An interesting note of this new species figured in B. of Am , folio pi. 

 193, and described in Orn. Biogr. ii., 1834, p. 539. It is now known as 

 Melospiza lincohii. — E. C. 



