BIRDS AT THE WINDOW 



THE winter has continued birdless, not only 

 in eastern Massachusetts, but, as far as I can 

 learn, throughout New England. Letters 

 from eastern Maine, the White Mountain 

 region, and western Massachusetts all bring 

 the same story : no birds except the com- 

 monest chickadees and the like. Cross- 

 bills, redpolls, and pine grosbeaks have left 

 us out in the cold. 



The only break in the season's monotony 

 with me has been a flock of six purple 

 finches, seen on the 29th of January. I was 

 nearing home, in a side street, thinking of 

 nothing in particular, when I heard faint con- 

 versational notes close at hand, and stopping 

 to look, saw first one and then another of 

 the bright carmine birds ; for five of the six 

 were handsome adult males. All were eat- 

 ing savin berries, and conversing in their 

 characteristic soft staccato. It was by all 



