Redpoll Linnets 



13 



of the tabic. TluTi' uiti- twcntx-sevcn Liiiiu'ts ami a luimlicr of Tree Sparrows 

 fecdin<^ al mir liiiic. It \va:> a fa>(inalin<^ si<^hl. 



Later in the (la\ 1 look mv >cat l)\- the window, aft(.-i- having spread millet 

 on the lahli' and in the lio.\. In a few nionient> the l,iniiet> ajjpeared and soon 

 there were three I'atinii; troni m\ hand while tlu' tahle six inc he-- t'rom me was 

 swarming with them; twent\ ->even at lea>l being there at one lime. While one 

 was eating in m\ hand 1 >lowl\ raised m\' thumh to encircle him and when 

 it was so high that he could not bite the one who was trying to seize a seed occa- 

 sionally from the other side of my hand he hopped up on my ihuml) and down 

 the other side to nip the poacher, then back again to his hrsl ])()sition. This 

 was done repeatedly but, linding he was losing time that way he took up a jjosi- 

 tion midwav, one foot on mv palm and the other stretched uj) on my thumb 

 so that he could t'at on one >i(le and bile the intruder on the other, without the 

 wear and tear of jum])ing over and back. 



Three of the^c birds had rosy breasts, the color seeming to deepen as the 

 warmer weather came on until two of them had breasts as crimson as their 

 crowns, and these were the only ones, with one exception, that had rosy rumps. 



They sta\-ed with us several weeks, the flock diminishing as the snow disaj)- 

 peared and the weather grew warmer and on March 25, four of them, three 

 with rose-tinted breasts, made their parting call. We fully expect to see them 

 again during the coming winter, for their wings are long and strong and what 

 do a few hundred miles longer flight signify to them when there is a certainty 

 of abundance of food at the end of the journey? 



PliotOKraplicd by James H. Mill 



