352 SINGING BIRDS. 



They sing on the wing in the manner of the Goldfinch. 

 Their notes are clear, lively, and mellow, like as in that bird, 

 but still sufficiently distinct ; they fly out in the same graceful, 

 deep curves, emitting also the common call- note at every 

 effort to proceed. 



The history of this interesting bird is but little better known to- 

 day than when Nuttall wrote. Our ignorance is partly due to the 

 irregular, nomadic habits of the bird, but chiefly because its favorite 

 haunts are in out-of-the-way places, amid the deeper recesses of the 

 forests, where few observers penetrate. At intervals large flocks 

 visit the outskirts of settlements, and even look in upon the vil- 

 lages; but these are merely excursions by the way introduced into 

 the migration programme. Its habitat is now given as " North 

 America in general, breeding mostly north of the United States." 

 In the east, nests have been found in New York State by Dr. C. 

 Hart Merriam and Dr. A. K. Fisher, and a few pairs are known 

 to breed yearly in Massachusetts; but the major portion of the 

 eastern flocks go to the more northern portions of New England 

 and beyond before settling down for the summer. 



The dates usually given for the nesting are early in May ; but 

 a much earlier time is given by Dr. A. Leith Adams, an Eng- 

 lish naturalist who met with the species in New Brunswick. In 

 his " Field and Forest Rambles," he writes : " It breeds early, and 

 has its young flying before the first summer migrants arrive in 

 April, when large flocks may be observed feeding on the buds of 

 the hawthorn preparatory to their departure northward." He adds 

 that it is a choice cage-bird, and is easily tamed. He kept some 

 for several months, and when liberated they all returned to their 

 cages after an absence of several days. 



The biography of this species forms an interesting chapter in 

 that interesting book, " The Land Birds and Game Birds of New 

 England," by H. D. Minot, — a book, by the way, that has not 

 received the recognition its merit deserves. 



