36 THE LOG OF THE SUN 



re-echoed from the tops of the cedars, you may 

 know that a flock of purple finches is near, and so 

 greedy and busy are they that you may approach 

 within a few feet. These birds are unfortunately 

 named, as there is nothing purple about their 

 plumage. The males are a delicate rose-red, while 

 the females look like commonplace sparrows, 

 streaked all over with black and brown. 



There are other winter birds, whose home is in 

 the North, with a similar type of coloration. 

 Among the pines you may see a flock of birds, as 

 large as a sparrow, with strange-looking beaks. 

 The tips of the two mandibles 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 

 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 



