BIRDS OF MASSACHUSETTS. 327 



be said to return in the spring, since many of them do not leave 

 us in winter, though, as they roam about in their dusky dresses, 

 with their complaining note, there is little about them to re- 

 mind us of the gay musicians of the spring. They are often 

 seen when the ground is covered, gathering a living from 

 the tall stalks of weeds that rise above the snow. For some 

 time they will be missing, and then they rove about without 

 any fixed direction, and apparently never much troubled by 

 the want of food. When the warm gales begin to blow, the 

 males resume their colored dress, the females among birds not 

 being permitted to share that fatal gift of beauty, that might 

 attract attention to their nest. The social habits of these 

 pretty birds give double interest to -their song, since all join in 

 harmony, sometimes plaintive and low, then gay and loud, as 

 they enjoy the sunshine together. They are fond of bathing 

 and pluming themselves in company ; in fact, they always as- 

 sociate together on the most friendly terms. In our gardens 

 they collect the seeds of lettuce, but thistle down is their favo- 

 rite food, and they cannot be justly charged with doing any 

 injury whatever. 



They make use of thistle down, with other soft and delicate 

 substances, to build their nests. They are placed on trees or 

 tall bushes, and constructed externally of dry leaves and other 

 rubbish, with a lining of fine grass, hair or down. Audubon 

 speaks of its nest as covered with lichens, glued on with 

 saliva ; the nests here have no such disguise. He also speaks 

 of the eggs, which are from four to six in number, as white, 

 tinged with bluish, and speckled with reddish brown. Here, 

 the eggs are white. 



A year or two since, I saw one, in a large flock of gold- 

 finches, which was distinguished from the rest by plumage 

 partly flaxen and partly white. At a little distance it appeared 

 like a snow white bird. 



The Pine Finch, Fringilla pimis, comes occasionally from 

 the north in winter, and sometimes proceeds as far as the 

 southern extremity of the Union ; but the first approach of 



