WILD LIFE OF ORCHARD AND FIELD 



depths of the Catskills or Adirondacks, where it 

 spends its summer. 



The family of sparrows, finches, and buntings — 

 the Fringillidae — suppKes more of the winter 

 woodland birds than any other single group, the 

 list of those regularly present in January including 

 the pine-grossbeak, the red and the white-winged 

 crossbills, the two red-poll linnets, the pine, grass, 

 and gold finches, the song, tree, and English 

 sparrows, besides an occasional straggler like 

 the purple finch, cardinal, and white-throat. The 

 first six mentioned are polar bred, and return to 

 their native heaths at the earliest intimation of 

 spring. The pine - grossbeak is a big, clumsy 

 looking bird, with a plumage reminding you of a 

 blossoming clover-field — a mixture of red and dull 

 green. It has found out what its thick, strong 

 bill was made for, and crushes the scales of the 

 tough pine-cones as though they were paper. The 

 pine-grossbeaks often come into the village streets, 

 hopping about in search of almost anything to 

 eat, and are very tame and interesting. Their 

 note is a cheery one, and when captured they thrive 

 well in the cage, eat apple-seeds greedily, and 

 become very entertaining. The pine - finch, or 

 siskin, is its miniature, and seeks much the same 



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