POAETQUISSINGS IN WINTER. 81 



Crossbills cannot be said to be rare winter visitors, 

 and jet a winter or two may pass without our seeing 

 them. This signifies nothing, however. These birds 

 are eminently social, and always, I believe, live in flocks 

 during the winter. This being true, how natural that 

 when you chance to go out of your front door, cross- 

 bills may be clambering over the pines in the back yard ; 

 and if you chance to go out by the rear entrance, these 

 birds may be seed-hunting in the evergreens in front. 



" I saw horned larks, as I came down the lane," re- 

 marked a friend to me, some years ago. 



" That's odd," I replied, "I've been looking for them 

 all winter."- 



I know now that there was nothing strange about it. 

 Luck simply had favored my friend and had not fa- 

 vored me. Never, T advise, venture to say a bird is rare, 

 or absolutely wanting to the fauna of your neighbor- 

 hood, because you have failed to find it. 



An old farmer once assured me that there were no 

 skunks in the neighborhood. That same winter, his 

 next-door neighbor trapped seven, and spoke of others 

 who had had even better luck. The fact is, that as 

 crossbills are generally seen every winter, it is merely 

 by chance that they occasionally escape notice. Their 

 visits are probably as regular as the ceaseless round of 

 the seasons. 



Another arctic bird that lends a chartn to our mead- 

 ows and Poaetquissings-Creek bank, is the diminutive 

 lesser red-poll linnet. Too long a name for so small a 

 bird ; but they are so full of glee, and sing so merrily, 



