son crowns and beautiful red rose breasts. 

 Some had only dull red crowns and no rose 

 on the streaked breasts. Others had no rose 

 at all and looked very like other little Spar- 

 rows. So we knew they were mother and 

 father Redpolls and young Redpolls in all their 

 distinguishing feathers. 



The Redpoll is never a regular winter visitor, 

 and it was some time since we had seen so large 

 a flock. The visit, however, was but a fleeting 

 one. The next day they were gone. Where 

 had they come from and where were they going, 

 those tiny, sweet-voiced travellers in that 

 twenty below zero atmosphere? 



The Longspur's home is in the far north. If 

 he should call at the sanctuary it would be a 

 surprise, for he has never led us to expect him. 

 We are told that he is a very sweet singer when 

 at his nesting place on the arctic coast. Nature 

 gave rare music to those lonely places when 

 she sent the Longspur to rear his family there. 



CROSSBILLS AND GROSBEAKS 



Two other members of the family are irre- 

 gular winter visitors. So beautiful are they 

 that we try to cater to their tastes by way of 



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