The Birds' Calendar 



cheer which must be evident to any attentive 

 observer. He is readily distinguished from the 

 other winter birds, whose notes are commonly 

 littered singly, by his fine and sibilant zee, zee, 

 zee, which is much more frequent than the sin- 

 gle note. 



September closed with one of those perfect 

 autumn days — bright, cool, and vigorous, the 

 air clearer than crystal, and seeming doubly 

 charged with every healthful and inspiriting 

 quality — as rare as a day in June, and more 

 glorious. It brought back another winter-resi- 

 dent, the downy woodpecker (the crimson- 

 headed male), which I have not seen since 

 April — not one of the dainty varieties, but a 

 busy, honest sort of bird, that always appears 

 to mind his own affairs in an interested way, 

 without meddling with his neighbors. In get- 

 ting a living after their peculiar fashion, the 

 woodpeckers have flattened their bodies against 

 the trees for so many generations that it has be- 

 come chronic in their physique, giving them a 

 high-shouldered, long-waisted appearance that 

 is far from beautiful. All of which counts for 

 little in comparison with their interesting hab- 

 its, cheerful manner, and winter companion- 

 ship. Near him was the phoebe, lingering 



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