SPARROWS AND FINCHES 65 



the ground. They range In summer from the 

 extreme north of the United States northward. 

 In the winter they journey irregularly southward 

 to the Southern States. 



Redpoll. This cheery little winter visitor 

 comes to us in flocks soon after the cold weather 

 sets in. As with the Siskins, you are never sure 

 of finding them in the same locality for two 

 seasons. They have no fixed winter habitat, but 

 like so many of the seed-eaters, are habitual 

 wanderers. They are rather shy little chaps, but 

 sometimes will visit your garden in search of 

 food. I sometimes find them in Prospect Park 

 in November and December. They fly high in 

 large flocks, and their presence is first known to 

 you by a faint chip^ chip, which grows louder 

 as they come whirling down out of the sky, 

 moving in perfect harmony. Thoreau's descrip- 

 tion of them is so beautiful it is well worth 

 quoting: "Erelong amid the cold and powdery 

 snow, as it were a fruit of the season, will come 

 twittering a flock of delicate, crimson-tinged 

 birds, lesser Redpolls to sport and feed on the 

 buds just ripe for them on the sunny side of the 

 woods, shaking down the powdery snow there 

 in their cheerful feeding, as if it were high mid- 

 summer to them." With the warm spring rays 

 they, too, set out for the north, but just as they 

 leave sometimes we hear a snatch of song like 

 that of a Canary, a sweet and melodious carol. 



The male wears a bright red cap. His back is 

 dark brown streaked with gray. The throat is 

 black, the rumip and breast pink. The female 

 has the same general coloring, without the pink. 



