18 BIRDS OF THE GARDEN AND ORCHARD. 



varied. I think there may be less difference than is com- 

 monly supposed in the powers of individuals, and that 

 the songs of the same warbler vary with his feelings. 

 If you closely watch one on a tree while singing, he 

 may be observed suddenly to take flight, and while pois- 

 ing himself in the air, though still advancing, to pour out 

 a continued strain of melody with all the rapture of a 

 Skylark. 



The male American Linnet is crimson on the head, 

 neck, and throat, dusky on the upper parts of his body, 

 and beneath somewhat straw-colored. It is remarkable 

 that some of the males are wanting in the crimson head 

 and neck, being plainly clad, like the female. These are 

 supposed to be old birds, and the loss of color is attrib- 

 uted to age. I am doubtful of this, for it can hardly 

 be supposed that any bird can escape the gunner long 

 enough to become gray with age. The only nests of this 

 bird which I have seen were upon spruce-trees. The 

 eggs are of a pale green with dark spots of irregular 

 size. 



THE PEABODY-BIRD. 



In the northern parts of New England only are the 

 inhabitants familiar with the habits of the Peabody-Bird, 

 or White-throated Sparrow. I have seen it, however, 

 in Cambridge ; and during a season when the currant- 

 worm was very destructive, one individual came fre- 

 quently into my garden and employed himself in pick- 

 ing the caterpillars from a row of currant-bushes. As 

 the fruit was then ripened, or partially ripe, his appear- 

 ance so late in the season led me to infer that he had 

 probably a nest somewhere in the Cambridge woods. 

 This is a large Sparrow, and a very fine singing-bird. 

 Samuels says : " The song of this species is very beauti- 

 ful. It is difficult of description, but resembles nearly the 



