AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 115 



whose habits are as pleasing as those of the Nuthatch, although it moves in 

 quite a different way down a tree, coming down backward, and not head 

 foremost like the Nuthatch. The Downy is similar in color to its cousin, the 

 Hairy Woodpecker, but what readily distinguishes the two is their size, the 

 Hairy being more than twice the size of the Downy, and its note is also con- 

 siderable louder. 



The Hairy seldom leaves the woods in winter, yet it is quite as busy there, 

 as the Downy is in our orchards and near our houses. These two species of 

 Woodpeckers have a very acute voice, it being simply a short, sharp "twit," 

 which accompanies their actions. Their only song is the same note rapidly 

 repeated in a monotonous tone. 



A rather shy winter bird is the Brown Creeper, which is about the size of 

 a wren. Like the Woodpeckers and Nuthatches, it also hunts its food upon 

 the trunks and limbs of trees, but unlike either of them, it only moves upward 

 and downward; when it wishes to begin down again it simply flies down to 

 the lower part of the same tree or to another one. 



A few rare winter visitors are the Pine Grosbeaks and the Red-polls, 

 which can only be seen here when the winter becomes too severe for them in 

 Canada. 



But two birds that are sure to be seen every winter are the Slate-colored 

 Junco and the Snow Bunting. These birds seem to delight in the snow, as 

 they frequently walk all over it, picking off the seeds attached to the stalks 

 that rear themselves above the snow. 



BIRDS THAT STAY WITH US THROUGOUT THE YEAR. 



At the commencement of spring, most of the winter birds will leave for 

 colder regions, not to be seen again until the beginning of next winter, but 

 there are some that stay with us all the year. 



The most intimate of these is the happy-go-lucky English Sparrow. It is 

 the bird that will approach nearest to man, yet the least movement will alarm 

 it and cause its instant flight. The Crow approaches near to us in winter, 

 probably rendered bold by searching for food, while in autumn it leaves the 

 woods only to go in nearby fields, where it can find plenty of food. In winter 

 they collect in large flocks, sometimes half a mile long, passing from one 

 place to the other in the evening and returning in the morning. 



The familiar Downy Woodpecker, as well as his cousin, the Hairy, are also 

 our constant companions. Certain species of Hawks and Owls remain here 

 the entire year, but in summer they retire to the woods far from the abode of 

 man. All these birds can be seen only occasionally during the winter, except 

 the English Sparrow and the Crow, which can be seen every day. 



OUR FIRST SPRING BIRDS. 



As the winter wanes and the snow disappears from the ground, and the sun 

 sends forth warm rays to warm up the earth, then the birds begin to appear. 

 Some of them appear to be in a great hurry, stopping only for a hastv lunch 

 to refresh themselves, as they hurry on to their favorite homes in the New 

 England states or Canada, but a great number of them stay with us, and thus 

 become our happy companions of the summer. 



