THE RICE-BUNTING, OR REED-BIRD. 



individual was found entirely destitute of it. 

 The rudiments of the red patch on the breast 

 and rump can always be distinguished on the 

 young males in their winter dress. In some of 

 the adults it is of a rose color, and in others of a 

 blood-red. On some occasions we found the flocks 

 dispersed in the woods, gleaning from the twigs 

 of the tallest trees, and again observed them in 

 the low meadows, where they are fond of dab- 

 bling in the runs on a warm day. Their ap- 

 pearance, however, was always uncertain, and 

 after being shot at several times, the flocks often 

 disappeared for a time from the vicinity. They 

 thrive in confinement, and have a peculiar chir- 

 rup, very different from their usual call, which 

 resembles that of the yellow-bird (fringilla tris- 

 tis) and of the canary. We sent a female red- 

 poll, which had been slightly injured on the 

 wing, to a lady in Philadelphia, where we saw 

 it in perfect health, some weeks afterwards, in a 

 cage with some canaries. 



