Extracts from Diary of Otto Widmann 39 



to death, for he was hugging a pile of fresh stable manure 

 that kept him warm and may have fed him at the same 

 time. 



Birds which do not breed with us but come to us reg« 

 ularly to spend the winter we call winter residents, dis- 

 tinguishing them from winter visitants, those species that 

 appear only for a short time and are moro or less irregu- 

 lar in their visits to the same locality. 



Of our true winter residents we have to name at first 

 the Junco or Snowbird, as it is commonly called. Ours 

 and the adjoining states are the winter homes of millions 

 of these lovely, sprightly creatures, to whom no cold 

 seems to be too severe as long as they find something to 

 eat. In former times they found food and shelter in the 

 virgin forests with their fallen trees and impenetrable 

 brush, but since these have given way to farm land, the 

 Junco resorts to the pasture and farmyard for its food 

 supply. With the first awaking of spring the Junco 

 becomes restless and excited and gathers into flodcs to 

 begin the flight toward its summer home, which is chiefly 

 north of the United States and extends to the Arctic 

 Coast. Subspecies inha})it the western mountains, one 

 the Alleghanies. 



The Canacla Tree Sparrow occurs through the greater 

 portion of British America in summer and winters from 

 the northern United States southward to Virginia, 

 Tennessee and Oklahoma. In general appearance it 

 reminds us of the Chipping Sparrow, which is with us in 

 the summer, but leaves us at the time when its northern 

 cousin comes. Besides being a little larger, the Tree 

 Sparrow diifers from the Chippy by having broad white 

 wing bands and a dark spot on the breast. It always 

 occurs in troops, sometimes in large flocks, and is pro- 

 vided throughout the winter with an unfailing supply of 

 seeds from the dried flower clusters of goldenrod and 

 other withered weeds that reach above the snow. The 



