Nelson on Door- Yard Birds of the Far North. 5 



Golden-crowned Sparrows ( Zonotrichia coronatci) and Gam- 

 bel's Finches claim their share of attention as they levy their tax 

 upon the garden or flit from fence to fence, diving into the shelter 

 of the weed patches on the first suspicions occurrence. The Fox- 

 colored Sparrows return to take a short, though timid farewell 

 before seeking winter quarters, followed by the Tree Sparrow. 



A stray Robin shows itself once or twice during the summer, 

 but a single visit to the garden appears sufficient, and the solitary 

 voyageur is seen no more. A few Olive-backed Thrushes flit 

 silently about for a day or two, and, if we are fortunate, we 

 catch a glimpse of a rare visitant from Asia in the form of the 

 Wheat-ear (Saxicota cenanthe) as it skulks around the end of 

 the house and hastens to take shelter in the crevices among the 

 rocks along the beach. I fear my thoughts are animated by a 

 spirit of destruction, when such a visitant as this or Kennicott's 

 Warbler is seen, which generally results in a tragedy in which 

 the hapless little wanderer plays the part of victim. A few 

 White-bellied Swallows fraternize with the Barn Swallows for 

 a short time before leaving, the latter being now busily engaged 

 in preparing their young for the long journey before them. 



At times a pair of Black-breasted Turnstones are caught in- 

 vestigating the wet places about the houses, while the Semipal- 

 mated Sandpiper is quite numerous. Adventurous individuals 

 of the latter even pass under the fence to explore the yard after 

 a rain-storm. Once I even caught a Golden Plover making 

 itself free within the fence, but as I stepped out of the house it 

 hastily retreated. 



The August moon rises, fills, and is on the wane ; the air 

 becomes chilly ; one by one the sprightly forms, which, until now, 

 have surrounded us with joyous life, slip away, so imperceptibly, 

 however, that scarcelv is one missed until we awake to the fact 

 that of all the goodlv company only a few stragglers remain. 

 We may now look for a visit from one or two solitary Downy 

 Woodpeckers, which, clinging pensively to the side of a log 

 house, are evidently ruminating upon the strange phenomenon 

 of barkless trees ranged in a series one over, the other at right 

 angles" to the position in which experience has proven all prop- 

 erly conducted trees should extend. With a parting tap to make 

 sure his eyes have not been deceived, he relinquishes his hold 

 and departs for the interior where primitive nature still holds 

 undisputed sway. 



