ter. In that case the goldfiniches that nest here in summer 

 would not be the same birds that are with us in winter. 



I know of a case in northern Wisconsin, when young gold- 

 finches were still in the nest about the beginning of October. 

 A spell of cold weather set in with a snowfall of about two 

 inches and the parents deserted the unfledged young. 



The only explanation I can offer of these cases of "child 

 desertion" is that the flocking and migrating instinct late in 

 the season overcomes the parental instinct. In the case ob- 

 served at St. Anthony Park, there could be no question about 

 food still being abundant and the weather favorable, but I 

 saw a large flock of goldfinches disporting themselves on 

 thickets of wild hemp only about two hundred yards from 

 the nest, and I suppose that the call of the flock to roam 

 among the roadside weeds appealed so strongly to the par- 

 ent birds that they forgot about their cold and hungry nest- 

 lings. 



Why the goldfinches nest so late is not known for certain. 

 It is thought that they wait until their favorite food, the 

 seeds of thistles and other composites are abundant, which 

 is not the case before midsummer or autumn. Frequently 

 almost the whole nest is built of thistledown. 



The novice is likely to be puzzled by the change of plum- 

 age in the male goldfinch. In fall the males lose the con- 

 trasting black and yellow and assume the olive green of the 

 female with a light buff bar on each wing. It is in this 

 plumage one finds them feeding on the seeds of roadside 

 weeds. 



Goldfinches fly in a characteristic wavy line, and while 

 on the wing generally utter their call: "Ker-chee, chee, 

 chee." Two calls sounding like "sweet" and "baby," they 

 utter while perching. Their song resembles that of a canary, 

 and the birds are often called wild canaries, although our 

 canaries are not descended from them. 



The oddities of the Canada Jay are quite different from 

 those of the goldfinch. This bird of the many names and no 

 little fame never is found, as far as I know, south of the belt 

 of evergreen forests. Indians, hunters, trappers, campers, 

 and lumbermen all know him well. He is called meat bird, 



