190 WINTER AIR DS ABOUT BOSTON. 
with tall weeds. Hither came flocks of gold- 
finches, red- poll linnets, and snow buntings ; 
and thither I went to watch them. It hap- 
pened, I remember, that the last two species, 
which are not to be met with in this region 
every season, were unusually abundant during 
the first or second year of my ornithological 
enthusiasm. Great was the delight with which 
I added them to the small but rapidly increas- 
ing list of my feathered.acquaintances. 
The red-polls and the goldfinches often travel 
together, or at least are often to be found feed- 
ing in company; and as they resemble each 
other a good deal in size, general appearance, 
and ways, the casual observer is very likely not 
to discriminate between them. Only the sum- 
mer before the time of which I speak I had 
spent a vacation at Mount Wachusett; and a 
resident of Princeton, noticing my attention to 
the birds (a taste so peculiar is not easily con- 
cealed), had one day sought an interview with 
me to inquire whether the ‘ yellow-bird ” did 
not remain in Massachusetts through the win- 
ter. J explained that we had two birds which 
commonly went by that name, and asked 
whether he meant the one with a black fore- 
head and black wings and tail. Yes, he said, 
that was the one. I assured him, of course, 
that this bird, the goldfinch, did stay with us 
