82 BIRDS AND POETS 
tree was visited by a flock of cedar-birds that also 
wintered in the vicinity. At such times it was 
amusing to witness the pretty wrath of the blue- 
birds, scolding and threatening the intruders, and 
begrudging them every berry they ate. The blue- 
bird cannot utter a harsh or unpleasing note. In- 
deed, he seems to have but one language, one speech, 
for both love and war, and the expression of his 
indignation is nearly as musical as his song. The 
male frequently made hostile demonstrations toward 
the cedar-birds, but did not openly attack them, and, 
with his mate, appeared to experience great relief 
when the poachers had gone. 
I had other company in my solitude also, among 
the rest a distinguished arrival from the far north, 
the pine grosbeak, a bird rarely seen in these parts, 
except now and then a single specimen. But in 
the winter of 1875, heralding the extreme cold wea- 
ther, and no doubt in consequence of it, there was 
a large incursion of them into this State and New 
England. They attracted the notice of the country 
people everywhere. I first saw them early in De- 
cember about the head of the Delaware. I was 
walking along a cleared ridge with my gun, just at 
sundown, when I beheld two strange birds sitting 
in a small maple. On bringing one of them down, 
I found it was a bird I had never before seen; in 
color and shape like the purple finch, but quite as 
large again in size. From its heavy beak, I at once 
recognized it as belonging to the family of gros- 
beaks, A few days later I saw large numbers of 
