The Birds and Poets 155 



uality, and no striking characteristics which mark 

 it as peculiar in any way from the rest of the feath- 

 ered kingdom, either as to song, plumage or habits. 

 Arriving in late September, they stay with us until 

 the extreme cold weather comes, and inasmuch as 

 they return again as early as February, cheering us 

 with their company through several long weeks 

 when "woods are bare and birds are flown," it is 

 only natural that they should occupy a large place 

 in our affections, though their dress is plain, and 

 their song is seldom heard. A few of these juncos 

 remain with us during the more open winters and 

 will usually be found in company with snow birds 

 and winter sparrows. 



Mr. Edward Clark relates an experience with 

 juncos in Lincoln Park, some years ago, which 

 demonstrates the unfortunate ignorance of chil- 

 dren with reference to our common birds. One 

 day in November he observed a large flock of 

 juncos scattered about in the grass in one of the 

 open spaces in the Park used as a play ground. 

 About a hundred students from the grammar 

 schools had congregated to witness a foot ball 

 game, and although the juncos were all about them, 

 none of the children seemed to notice them. Upon 

 calling their attention to the birds, he enquired of 

 one child after another what the birds were, and 

 most of them did not pretend to know, and those 

 who did hazard a guess, called them sparrows, 

 although the only possible resemblance between a 

 junco and a sparrow is that of size. 



