DECEMBER. 345 



tumbler with pure water, and putting therein a few water- 

 insects, or any substances that would float just beneath the 

 surface : a globe containing gold fish is a good illustration, 

 and the illusion caused by the fish's occasionally coming up 

 and meeting its image has a pretty appearance. Of course, 

 the observer must look through the side of the glass, obliquely 

 up to the surface. 



C. Yonder are two little birds singing on a cherry 

 tree. 



F. Their song and their colours show that they are 

 Yellowbirds (Fringilla Tristis), but in their sober winter 

 plumage. It is very late for these birds to be here ; I should 

 think they would hardly retire at all, since they have de- 

 ferred it so long. The Canada Jay ( Corvus Canadensis) 

 is quite numerous now : it appears with us about the middle 

 of October, hopping about in fields and pastures, and at the 

 margins of woods. Wilson appears to have had a very slight 

 acquaintance with this species ; it is by no means a bird of 

 solitary habits, almost always appearing in parties of three 

 or four : neither does it, with us, confine itself to " unfre- 

 quented shaded retreats," as his informant reports, but, on 

 the contrary, seems to be a saucy, familiar, fearless bird, 

 often coming about the house, and playing about till one gets 

 very near it. In Newfoundland, where they are com- 

 mon, they live in the woods, but are very often found in the 

 paths, feeding on the crumbs of bread, droppings, &c. which 

 are met with in frequented places. A winter or two ago, 

 there were several Canada jays that used to come and play 

 about some fir trees on the banks of the Masuippi, close to 

 a village school, unterrified by the uproar of the boisterous 

 boys. I observed a party of them a few days ago, around 



Q 5 



