THE SISKIN. 215 



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of the twigs in order to explore the seed-vessels on all 

 sides. Occasionally, but less frequently, they are seen visit- 

 ing heads of thistles and burdocks, and not unfrequently 

 they descend to the ground for the sake of picking up 

 scattered seeds. During the whole of their feeding-time, 

 they never cease twittering and fluttering about joyously 

 from twig to twig. Now and then, as if by preconcerted 

 signal given by a leader, they all take flight to another 





THE SISKIN. 



tree, or, after a short evolution, return to the same from 

 which they started. Should it happen that, while one 

 little band is occupied in despoiling a tree, another is heard 

 in the air, the latter is immediately invited by general 

 acclamation to take part in the banquet, and rarely fails 

 to accept the invitation. Owing to this sociability of 

 character they are easily entrapped, provided that one of 

 their own species be employed as a decoy bird. They soon 



