284 RIVERBY 



where, plenty of them. I think I seldom miss a 

 bird in my walk if he is within eye or ear shot, even 

 though my mind be not intent upon that subject. 

 Walking along the road this very day, feeling a cold, 

 driving snow-storm, I saw some large birds in the 

 top of a maple as I passed by. I do not know how 

 I came to see them, for I was not in an ornithologi- 

 cal frame of mind. But I did. There were three 

 of them feeding upon the buds of the maple. They 

 were nearly as large as robins, of a dark ash- color, 

 very plump, with tails much forked. What were 

 they ? My neighbor did not know ; had never seen 

 such birds before. I instantly knew them to be 

 pine grosbeaks from the far north. I had not seen 

 them before for ten years. A few days previously 

 I had heard one call from the air as it passed over; 

 I recognized the note, and hence knew that the birds 

 were about. They come down from the north at 

 irregular intervals, and are seen in flocks in various 

 parts of the States. They seem just as likely to 

 come mild winters as severe ones. Later in the day 

 the birds came about my study. I sat reading with 

 my back to the window when I was advised of their 

 presence by catching a glimpse of one reflected in my 

 eye-glasses as it flew up from the ground to the 

 branch of an apple-tree only a few feet away. I 

 only mention the circumstance to show how quick 

 an observer is to take the hint. I was absorbed in 

 my reading, but the moment that little shadow flit- 

 ted athwart that luminous reflection of the window 

 in the corner of my glasses, something said " that 



