FIRST WEEK] February 41 



are long, curved, and pointed, crossing each other at their 

 ends. This looks like a deformity, but is in reality a 

 splendid cone-opener and seed-extracter. These birds are 

 the crossbills. 



Even in the cold of a February day, we may, on very 

 rare occasions, be fortunate enough to hear unexpected 

 sounds, such as the rattle of a belted 

 kingfisher, or the croak of a night heron; 

 for these birds linger until every bit of 

 pond or lake is sealed with ice; and 

 when a thaw comes, a lonely bat may 

 surprise us with a short flight through 

 the frosty air, before it returns to its HEAD OF PrRPLE FlxcH 

 winter's trance. 



Of course, in the vicinity of our towns and cities, the 

 most noticeable birds at this season of the year (as indeed 

 at all seasons) are the English sparrows and (at least near 

 New York City] the starlings, those two foreigners which 

 have wrought such havoc among our native birds. Their 

 mingled flocks fly up, not only from garbage piles and 

 gutters, but from the thickets and fields 

 which should be filled with our sweet - 

 . ~" 5 ^S L voiced American birds. It is no small 

 I matter for man heedlessly to interfere with 

 Xature. What may be a harmless, or 

 even useful, bird in its native land may 



HEAD OF CROSSBILL 



prove a terrible scourge when introduced 

 where there are no enemies to keep it in check. Nature 

 is doing her best to even matters by letting albinism 

 run riot among the sparrows, and best of all by teach- 



