FINCHES. 187 



said by Wilson to have been common in Pennsylvania for a 

 number of successive winters, and are known to occur occasion- 

 ally on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico. The most interest- 

 ing fact in their natural history is their frequent appearance 

 near Boston in April and May, or even in June and July, even 

 when not observed in the preceding winter. Mr. Maynard 

 supposes that their journeys are chiefly governed by the snow ; 

 but m}'- own observations do not altogether confirm this theory, 

 which I do not think supported by the facts relative to the 

 feeding of these birds, or to their appearance here, for the Pine 

 Finches occasionally reach Boston in autumn, before the snow, 

 and even as soon as the young are able to travel, though, indeed, 

 these latter are rarely hatched before August.* 



The Siskins may be observed in winter to wander in flocks 

 from place to place, being, like their various near relations, 

 entirely nomadic at that season. They fly in undulations like 

 those of the Goldfinches, to whom they bear a very strong re- 

 semblance in other ways. '^ They live upon the seeds of weeds, 

 and those of the several evergreens, feeding both upon the 

 ground and in trees. They may often be seen clustered at the 

 top of some tall pine, busied in extracting the seeds, or cling- 

 ing to the cones of a spruce, with an ease which clearly indi- 

 cates their habits. They are also fond of birch seeds, which 

 are highly esteemed by many of our winter birds, particularly 

 the Ruffed Grouse. They are graceful in their movements, and 

 their attitudes, when feeding, are always pretty ; but they are 

 not such climbers as the " Red-polls." 



d. The Pine Finches are closely allied to the Yellowbirds 

 and " Red-polls " by their notes, and their sweet call is almost 

 indistinguishable from the call-notes of those birds. Their 

 song and their twitters, though distinct from those of the 

 Goldfinch, are yet much like them; but their twitters, most 



* Mr, Minot's impressions on this of cold or snow, but simply by a fail- 

 point have been amply confirmed by ure of the food supply. — W. B. 

 the observations of later writers. In- '^ Mr. Allen, in his ' ' Winter Notes 

 deed it is now very generally admitted of an Ornithologist," published in the 

 that the irregular southward journeys American Naturalist, considers the 

 of these as well as other northern breed- Siskins swifter in flight, their notes 

 ing birds are caused not by an excess " milder and more wiry." 



