154 THE CLERK OF THE WOODS 



once in a while. Last winter we had redpolls 

 and both kinds of crossbills, the white-wings 

 for the first time in many years. They made 

 a bright season. This winter, to the best of 

 my knowledge, not one of these hyperborean 

 species has sent so much as a deputation for 

 our enlivenment. 



And to make matters worse, even our regu- 

 lar local stand-bys seem to be less numerous 

 than usual. Tree sparrows and snowbirds 

 are both abnormally scarce, by my reckoning. 

 As for the Canadian nuthatches, which helped 

 us out so nobly a year ago, they are not only 

 absent now, but were so throughout the fall. 

 I have not seen nor heard one in Massachu- 

 setts since the middle of May, a most unusual 

 to the best of my recollection a quite un- 

 precedented state of things. I should like 

 very much to know the explanation of the 

 mystery. 



The daily birds at present, as I find them, 

 are the chickadee (which deserves to head 

 all lists), the Carolina nuthatch, the downy 

 woodpecker, the crow, and the jay. Less 

 regularly, but pretty frequently (every day, 

 if the walk is long enough), one meets with 



