124 BULLETIN OF THE ESSEX INSTITUTE. 



y^ ground was mostly covered with snow. The winter 

 had been very cold & severe, there was at this time a 

 thaw, and y*' weather next day became very cold, & was 

 afterwards very severe, with large quantities of snow. 

 Near y® places where I saw them were considerable Ledges 

 of rocks, but y® birds were among low bushes near y® 

 water & sang very merrily. When they congregate they 

 are continually singing — they have a variety of notes, & 

 make use of different notes when they sing together on 

 trees than what they use when on y^ wing. A large flock 

 on trees is excessive noisy, use a variet}"^ of notes, some 

 very shrill, others grum like base ; & it has often been 

 observed by good judges that their notes, tho' so various 

 & numerous, always make perfect cords. 



They are exceedingly injurious to Indian corn. In y^ 

 spring, when y"^ young spines are just without y® ground, 

 they pull y™ up with their bills for y'^ sake of y^ kernal 

 at y'' roots, but they are vastly more distructive in autumn, 

 when y*^ corn is just out of y** milk or become nearly ripe. 

 Large flocks repair to fields after y'' u[)per stalks are cut, 

 and sometimes before, in such numbers as to give y^ field 

 a black appearance when they have settled down upon y® 

 corn. And there being, perhaps, 3 or 4 to an ear of corn, 

 y^ husks are soon stripped into threads, and y*' corn plucked 

 in part, and w'^ they leave is spoiled by admitting wet 

 & moisture which occasions mould. A field Is sometimes 

 almost ruined in a few hours. They are commonly shy 

 when a person approaches them, & even firing at them in 

 y^ field is to little purpose. The most effectual method 

 to preserve fields, is to find y*' place where they retreat to 

 roost at night, which is always in swam[)s & near water, 

 commonly among thick alders. They collect in immense 

 numbers from all quarters, for several miles distance, & 

 place themselves in a very compact manner for their 



