424 HISTORY OF THE 



coming and going in flocks; winter sojourners in the northern 

 States, but only visitants soutliward. Their gentle, fearless 

 ways, rosy plumage and cheerful, twittering notes make them a 

 general favorite. They are very unsuspicious, easily tamed, 

 and make pretty cage birds. In my more northern home I 

 was on the lookout for their arrival, and never failed to welcome 

 them with a bountiful supply of food; and I have often had 

 them pick up crumbs and seeds at my feet, and when startled 

 by a sudden motion, would rise as of one accord, with clear, 

 twittering, chattering notes, in a liglit, buoyant, circling course 

 for a few moments, and then drop back at or near the starting 

 point, and without hesitation hop about in a heedless manner, 

 as if forgetful of the scare. 



They feed upon the seeds of the various plants, small tender 

 buds, etc. A happy family that never quarrel, and it is a pretty 

 sight to watch them while feeding, especially as they sway about 

 in various positions from weeds and small, flexible twigs of trees, 

 that bend with their weight, showing off their rosy plumage to 

 great advantage. The following description of their nesting 

 habits is taken from Mr. E. W. Nelson's "Keport upon Natural 

 History Collections in Alaska:" 



"This and the closely-allied species commence to nest in the 

 vicinity of Saint Michael's even as early as May 22d, and in 

 1878, before the ground was free from snow, and while the sea 

 and small streams were still covered with ice, we found a nest 

 of this bird cunningly placed in a cavity in a stout branch pro- 

 jecting from a log of drift wood, which a high tide, many years 

 before, had stranded on the bare tundra several miles from the 

 sea. In the bottom of the shallow cavity, to which the bird 

 gained access by a small knot hole, was placed a compact struct- 

 ure of fine straw and grass, lined with Ptarmigan feathers, and 

 containing three eggs. The log was twenty to twenty-five feet 

 in length, and while a native sat at the farther end the female 

 entered the nest, the male keeping close by, and continually 

 uttering his cheerful notes, as if to assure his partner of his 

 presence. 



"A pair of these birds built their nest early the same season 



