148 SPR/A'G AT THE CAPITAL. 



became exhilarating. Followed a little brook, the 

 eastern branch of the Tiber, lined with bushes and a 

 rank growth of green brier. Sparrows started out here 

 and there and flew across the little bends and points. 

 Among some pines just beyond the boundary, saw a 

 number of American goldfinches, in their gray winter 

 dress, pecking the pine-cones. A golden-crowned 

 kinglet was there also, a little tuft of gray feathers, 

 hopping about as restless as a spirit. Had the old 

 pine-trees food delicate enough for him also ? Farther 

 on, in some low open woods, saw many sparrows, — 

 the fox, white-throated, white-crowned, the Canada, 

 the song, the swamp, — all herding together along the 

 warm and sheltered borders. To my surprise saw a 

 cheewink also, and the yellow-rumped warbler. The 

 purple finch was there likewise, and the Carolina wren 

 and brown creeper. In the higher, colder woods not 

 a bird was to be seen. Returning, near sunset, across 

 the eastern slope of a hill which overlooked the city, 

 was delighted to see a number of grass-finches or ves- 

 per sparrows {fringilla gra?ninea), — birds which will be 

 forever associated in my mind with my father's sheep 

 pastures. They ran before me, now flitting a pace or 

 two, now skulking in the low stubble, just as I had ob- 

 served them when a boy." 



A month later, March 4th, is this note : — 

 " After the second memorable inauguration of Presi- 

 dent Lincoln, took my first trip of the season. The 

 afternoon was very clear and warm, — real vernal sun- 



