THE PERCHING BIRDS. 93 



swaying on the slenderest stems they can grasp, and 

 as you approach they dart away with a wavy flight 

 and twittering to the time of their wing-beats. Go in 

 August to the same field, and about the same rank but 

 now green growths you will find these same birds, 

 but the males in less shabby clothes, having now a 

 smart yellow and shiny black suit. Startle them and 

 you will have the same performance, undulatory 

 flight and a song to match it. It is seldom that you 

 find one alone. They have a most hearty apprecia- 

 tion of the merits of their kind, and often half a hun- 

 dred will be found together. Given an old field with 

 plenty of blooming thistle, and the Yellow-birds 

 thank you for the paradise. 



In autumn there comes down to us from more 

 northern regions another of these yellow-birds, but 

 it is never bright yellow, and when in the Middle 

 States is as much like the preceding as two peas in a 

 pod. It has, of course, a variety of common names, 

 when not confounded with the common or resident 

 species, as Pine-linnet, Pine-siskin, and Pine-finch. 

 All these names refer to the same sort of tree, but 

 the bird itself is really not so particular and has 

 equal fondness for other tall trees, if they will pro- 

 vide it any food, and some of them appear to do so. 

 At times, too, a huge flock of them will descend to 

 a rank growth of weeds. A heavy snow-fall tames 

 them, of course, and I once fed a large flock for four 

 days with bread-crumbs, which they ate greedily ; so 

 greedily, indeed, that their husky twitter I translated 

 as give me more, give me more. 



In the beautiful Snow-bunting or Snow-flake, as 



