January 
beauty, as the color so quickly fades after 
death. 
When not feeding from the berries that still 
cling to the trees, they condescend to patronize 
the ‘‘ board ’’ spread by the Park officials for all 
the feathered tribe, and for the instant mingle 
with the more plebeian sparrows and pigeons. 
Their call-note is loud, musical, and character- 
istic, leading one to expect much when they 
come into full song. Compared with the ever- 
busy kinglets they live a life of elegant ease ; 
and indolence best comports with aristocratic 
airs. As their summer residence is mostly in 
the Southern States, their occurrence in winter 
so far north as New York is quite exceptional. 
But one must not always keep his eyes on 
the ground, or exploring the shrubbery and 
trees, if he would see all that a winter’s day af- 
fords. Highin the air, their pure white pinions 
clearly outlined against the deep blue, you can 
often see the gulls, either singly or in small flocks, 
that are found along the coast and inland at 
thisseason. The commonest species seen here- 
abouts in winter is the herring-gull, which, as 
the warm weather approaches, retires to its 
breeding-grounds along the seashore from 
Maine to Labrador. ‘The pearly mantle that 
31 
