208 WINTER BIRDS ABOUT BOSTON. 



white, but just at this place the snow-plough 

 had scraped bare a few square feet of earth, and 

 by great good fortune this solitary and hungry 

 straggler had hit upon it. I wondered what he 

 would do when the resources of this garden 

 patch were exhausted, but consoled myself with 

 thinking that by this time he must be well used 

 to living by his wits, and would probably find 

 a way to do so even in his present untoward 

 circumstances. 



The snow-birds (not to be confounded with 

 the snow buntings) should have at least a men- 

 tion in such a paper as this. They are among 

 the most familiar and constant of our winter 

 guests, although very much less numerous at 

 that time than in spring and autumn, when the 

 fields and lanes are fairly alive with them. 



A kind word must be said for the shrike, 

 also, who during the three coldest months is to 

 be seen on the Common oftener than any other 

 of our native birds. There, at all events, he is 

 doing a good work. May he live to finish it ! 



The blue jay stands by us, of course. You 

 will not go far without hearing his scream, and 

 catching at least a distant view of his splendid 

 coat, which he is too consistent a dandy to put 

 off for one of a duller shade, let the season shift 

 as it will. He is not always good-natured ; but 

 none the less he is generally in good spirits (he 



