A Book on Birds 



Snowbirds in our climate always move 

 about a great deal and usually in flocks, 

 and are therefore easy to find and study. 



And upon some other occasions I have 

 seen them in even larger number and more 

 lively mood than I find them to-day. 



Once, indeed, with a northeast wind 

 blowing and a snow storm imminent I came 

 across probably a hundred of them in some- 

 thing of the same wild exuberance of spirit 

 which marks a small boy when the first 

 winter flakes descend. Instead of hunting 

 for cover they were all in a mad frolic of 

 aimless flight most of the time, circling 

 after each other around and around in every 

 conceivable curve, and flirting their wings 

 as they alighted or started off again — the 

 glistening tail feathers just referred to 

 seeming like quick little flashes of light in the 

 performance. It was from these, while 

 perching here and there for an instant, that 

 I learned a new strain of three or four notes 

 with a clear metalUc quality, like the sound 

 produced by striking a small bar of iron 

 lightly with a hammer. 



[190] 



