352 UPLAND AND MEADOW. 



tliat chanced to come under observation is assumed to 

 be an exhaustive life-history of tlie species. 



What is needed is to write the lives of our birds so 

 that the creatures may be recognized without the aid 

 of an illustration. It can be done. 



This thought occurred to me as I saw the first lin- 

 nets of the season, an hour before the rain began. I 

 thought of it again as a little saw-whet owl crossed my 

 path, skimming the ground like a whip-poor-will. The 

 linnets were in a flock of fully one hundred, and, as 

 usual, they dropped from the clouds. I happened to 

 be near the tree upon which they all alighted, and just 

 as I saw another flock, months ago, come to the big elm 

 in the yard, so these came directly from overhead, to 

 the tall sassafras " on the line." For years past I have 

 noticed this peculiarity. 



Wilson, in 1808-10, and George Ord, a few years 

 later, refer to the rarity of this bird in the neighbor- 

 hood of Philadelphia, considering its appearance as 

 only an exceptional occurrence in severe winters. 



This is wholly a mistake. Linnets are as sure to put 

 in an appearance as snow-birds or pine finches. They 

 are not often seen as early as October, in this latitude, 

 it is true, but why should it excite surprise, when it 

 is the rule for them to remain until late in April ? 

 Their apparent rarity, in winter, is really due to the 

 abruptness of arrival and departure, and unless there 

 is much snow, they remain closely among the tall 

 forest trees; if systematic search is made, linnets will 

 be found in Central New Jersey from November to 

 March, both inclusive, year in and year out. I base 



