OUR WINTER BIRDS. 



among the heights of the upper Delaware River, whither 

 they go to nest, the majority, nevertheless, passing to Can- 

 ada for that purpose. 



There is a winter wren also, but, although considerably 

 smaller, it is frequently mistaken for the inquisitive and 

 saucy house-wren, which fled south in October. It is a 

 species heard rather than seen, evading observation in the 

 dense brush, through which it moves more like a mouse 

 than a bird. Its prolonged and startling bugle-song is a 

 wonder, and its whole history is charming, but I must pass 

 it by. If you wish to become acquainted with him (and 

 several of his midwinter associates) in more genial days, 

 you have only to go to the depths of the Catskills or Adi- 

 rondacks, where he spends his summer. 



The family of sparrows, finches, and buntings the Frin- 

 gillidce supplies more of the winter woodland birds than 

 any other single group, the list of those regularly present 

 in January including the pine-grossbeak, the red and the 

 white-winged crossbills, the two red-poll linnets, the pine, 

 grass, and gold finches, the song, tree, and English sparrows, 

 besides an occasional straggler like the purple finch ?< cardi- 

 nal, and white-throat. The first five mentioned are polar 

 bred, and return to their native heaths at the earliest in- 

 timation of spring. The pine-grossbeak is a big, clumsy- 



