BIRDS OF AUTUMN AND WINTER. 



Purple Finch, and the Chicadee; there are individuals of 

 every species who do a little autumn singing, but it is heard 

 only from solitary voices. 



Meanwhile, the tiny Ruby-crowned Kinglet, and the 

 Myrtle, Palm, and Bay-breasted Warblers make us a visit, 

 and the Brown Creeper, Black and White Warblers, and 

 White-breasted Nuthatches circle the trees. 



By the first of October, the Blue Jays have returned from 

 the deep woods where they nested, and are in full scream, as 

 is their wont. Hermit Thrushes come and go, together with 

 the Thrashers. The Tanagers disappear, and the Vireos one 

 and all are packing their belongings. The lively Red-eyed 

 Vireo, who has preached and laughed at you all summer 

 from the maples, is taking a farewell peep under every bit 

 of loose bark, determined not to leave one insect behind. 

 You miss the Catbirds also, and in looking for them you 

 will find an occasional Pine Finch or Winter Wren. Quail 

 and Ruffed Grouse (Partridge) scramble furtively along road- 

 sides and through the stubble fields, and the Osprey fishes 

 more boldly. 



All the while the various Warblers are trooping by, young 

 and old together ; if you have not recognized them in 

 spring, you will be sadly puzzled now. The White-throated 

 Sparrows hop along the paths, giving a few sweet notes, " Pe- 

 peabody-peabody-peabody," but without the springtime 

 fervour, and the rarer White-crowned Sparrows show them- 

 selves warily. In fact, the greater part of this family are 

 on the move, and even the ranks of Song Sparrows are 

 thinning. The Black-throated Green and the Black-throated 

 Blue Warblers come about the spruces again; the Phoebes 

 vanish and the trim Towhee no longer hops jauntily among 

 the briars. If there is an early frost the flocks go quickly, 

 but otherwise all the birds linger. We have Hummingbirds 

 here in the garden through October, unless the weather is 

 very gusty ; for I think that all birds dread wind more than 

 cold. 



The third week of October sees the last of the Golden- 

 crowned Thrushes and Maryland Yellow-throats, the Fox 



27 



