January 



beauty, as the color so quickly fades after 

 death. 



When not feeding from the berries that still 

 cling to the trees, they condescend to patronize 

 the ' ' board ' ' spread by the Park officials for all 

 the feathered tribe, and for the instant mingle 

 with the more plebeian sparrows and pigeons. 

 Their call-note is loud, musical, and character- 

 istic, leading one to expect much when they 

 come into full song. Compared with the ever- 

 busy kinglets they live a life of elegant ease ; 

 and indolence best comports with aristocratic 

 airs. As their summer residence is mostly in 

 the Southern States, their occurrence in winter 

 so far north as New York is quite exceptional. 



But one must not always keep his eyes on 

 the ground, or exploring the shrubbery and 

 trees, if he would see all that a winter's day af- 

 fords. High in the air, their pure white pinions 

 clearly outlined against the deep blue, you can 

 often see the gulls, either singly or in small flocks, 

 that are found along the coast and inland at 

 this season. The commonest species seen here- 

 abouts in winter is the herring-gull, which, as 

 the warm weather approaches, retires to its 

 breeding-grounds along the seashore from 

 Maine to Labrador. The pearly mantle that 



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