94 THE BIRDS ABOUT Us. 



it is sometimes called, we have one of our handsomest 

 sparrows. It is a northern bird, and not at all dis- 

 posed to wander out of New England if it can help 

 it Its summer home is " the circumpolar region," 

 and yet it may be an occasional pair nest out of 

 bounds. I well remember a superbly snowy winter 

 day some thirty years ago, not too cold, but every 

 object hidden by a dense mantle of feathery, clinging 

 snow. About noon the sun shone out brightly and 

 the landscape was too dazzling for the unprotected 

 eye. I set forth, peering painfully under the rim of 

 my hat, but ready to take note of any bird that came 

 by. Before I had gone twenty paces there were 

 birds on the stilts of the wheelbarrow, they were 

 scattered over the few projecting stakes in the wood- 

 pile, and a host of them had gathered in the open 

 wagon-shed. These were particularly happy, for they 

 were eagerly picking at the bits that lay about where 

 the carcasses of pigs had been cut up a few days be- 

 fore. My near presence seemed to worry them, and 

 they gathered into a loose flock and hurried to the 

 fields. I followed, and still recall their head-over- 

 heels flight, and remember their cheery whistling 

 chirp. Since then I have seen but few of these 

 birds. The winter of 1892-93 was a " circumpolar" 

 one in the valley of the Delaware, and I am told 

 brought a considerable number of these birds ; so 

 many, indeed, that under the name of " winter reed- 

 birds" they were sold in the markets. 



The Lapland Long-spur comes to Pennsylvania 

 every winter where that State touches upon Lake 

 Erie, but it does not wander beyond unless moved 



