44 THE GOLDFINCH. 



Reaching us in October, this is one of our most abundant 

 winter birds, generally in large flocks, extending nearly to 

 the Gulf States, and returning northward in April and 

 early in May. It " breeds north of the United States, to 

 high latitudes, but also, like the Snow-bird, in mountains 

 within our limits." (Coues.) Its eggs are said to be much 

 like those of the Song Sparrow, and its nest indifferently on 

 the ground, in a bush, or in a tree. 



So gentle and unsuspecting is this bird, that it will even 

 pick up the crumbs around the door in winter, though it 

 generally affects the field, the pasture, the thicket, or the 

 orchard; and it seems to sing almost throughout the year. 

 In the latter part of March, or during the month of April, 

 when the Song Sparrow is giving us his earliest and most 

 ringing notes, from the thickets and from the ground you 

 may hear the soft, sweet notes of this species, as a sort of 

 undertoned accompaniment Whee-he-ho-he-whee-he-he-he-he; 

 the first four notes drawn out, and the rest uttered some- 

 what rapidly. In mild days of November whole flocks 

 may be heard warbling almost as sweetly as in spring, and 

 in the midst of the cold of winter, their notes are often 

 much more like a warble than a mere twitter, a whole flock 

 becoming thoroughly musical. In the soft sweetness of its 

 song, its general habit and migration, it is very much like 

 the Dark Snow-bird, and, like it, is not common west of the 

 Rocky Mountains. 



THE GOLDFINCH. 



We have had several sunny days, and our heavy fall of 

 snow has settled to a stratum of six or eight inches. I am 

 leisurely strolling through a thicket, on a bright afternoon, 

 on the sunny side of a large woods. I find Chickadees, in 

 familiar little parties, happy as the sunshine. A small flock 

 of Tree Sparrows has also flown overhead, and lighted in 



