February 



vigorous, while many of the largest are the 

 most delicate. The most conspicuous differ- 

 ence between the two groups is in the generally 

 neutral coloring of winter birds, and the more 

 brilliant plumage of the summer species. Black 

 and white and brown are prevalent in winter ; 

 yellow, red, blue, and crimson are frequent in 

 summer. 



It remains to speak of the third group, which, 

 in the latitude of New York, is perhaps as large 

 as the summer group, comprising all of the least 

 known, but many of the most interesting and 

 beautiful species, resident here neither in sum- 

 mer nor winter, and strictly " transients." 

 They are such as go to greater extremes in their 

 semi-annual migration than any of the foregoing. 



Summering in northern New England, Cana- 

 da, Labrador, and even in the Arctic regions, 

 like the fox sparrow and many other finches, 

 some of the thrushes, but especially the warblers, 

 they do not find our climate congenial, nor 

 agreeable food-supplies for the winter months, 

 and their fall migrations carry them fartlier 

 south, even as far sometimes as Mexico and 

 Central America. As a consequence we are 

 able to see them only in their passage to and 

 fro. And practically our observadon of many 



53 



