FRINGILLID^E — THE FIXCIIRa 497 



together, in Hij^ht, as luakinj,' a coiil'usc.d (■,liirj)iiig, Avilli a rattliii,i,' noise, and 

 niovinj; oil' willi a sinmltaneous tuittor. They were attracted to tlie jiineH liy 

 the Cr()ssl)ill.s, and were liusily eniiduyeil in coUectinjf tiie seeds, dro]iped from 

 the cones as tiui ('rossl)ills open^ ' them. They at times fed on the Inids of 

 fruit-trees. They were always found to he I'at, even on tlieir first arrival, 

 and there were no obvious reasons lor their movements. 



Mr. Boarihnan speaks of them as eommon at C.'ahiis by the first of the 

 winter. At Norway, Me., Professor Verrill found them very eommnn in fall, 

 winter, and sprinj;-, and most aliundant in Mareh and April. In Springfield 

 they are, aceorduig to Mr. Allen, an irregular and occasional visitant, com- 

 ing in very hirge lloeks one year, and again not seen lor several years. In a 

 more recent paper (1X70) Mr. Allen states that during 'he iireceiling li\-e years 

 these birds iiave been several times very luimerous in Massachu.setts, ajiiiear- 

 iug in cjuite large flocks. 



Mr. Audubon met with these birds in Labrador the last of July, and ob- 

 tained specimens of dilferent ages. He thinks their notes more like those 

 of the Siskin of Europe than of our GohUinch, uttered both when the birds 

 are on tiie wing and when they have alighted. They were in small parties of 

 seven or eiglit, evidently mendjcrs of the same family. They w(!re tame and 

 familiar, and fearlessly returned to the same spot after having been shot 

 at. They were also remarkably affectionate, and he fre(piently observed them 

 passing seeds one to the other in the most loving manner. 



Dr. Coues also observed this bird in Lalirador, and described it as ^-A'. fas- 

 ccscens. He found it abumlant along the c(jast, and was struck with its re- 

 sendjlance, in habits, to the Chrijsomitrix irisfi.H. It was remarkably unsus- 

 liicious and familiar, and showed no signs of fear even when v(!ry closely 

 approached. It freiiuented, almost exclusively, the scruliby junipers that 

 grow everywhere in open places in thick impenetrable patches. He describes 

 its flight as irregular, rising and ialling in curves, and seldom protracted to 

 any great distance. While ])assing overhead, it uttered a jjcculiar rattling 

 chirj). He thinks it has no song. 



Dr. Ivirtland informs me that early in the winter of 18(]8 his grandson 

 picked \\\) a wing-broken male lJed-1'oll, and placed it in his greenliou.se. It 

 began at once to feed on crund)s of bread and hay-seed, and raiiidly recovered. 

 It soon acduired the iiabitof leajnng from slu'lf to shelf, among thephmts.aud 

 was finally .seen climbing up sonu! stately rc/Kiydiiium shrub,s,and suspending 

 itself, i)arrot-likc, by its feet from the limbs, ca])turing aphides. Krom that 

 time it took no other food, living exclusively on the i>arasitic insects of the 

 jilants. So active was it in capturing these, that for two ni )nths it was not 

 necessary to fumigate the greenhou.se to destroy them. From day to day a 

 female Eed-Poll hovered over the buihling, and her calls were responded to 

 by the invalid. Later in the season he escaped from his confinement, and 

 was seen to rejoin ids faithful mate, which had remained near him all the 

 winter. As in Europe, this s]i('cies in the Arctic regions of America has been 

 found nesting in low trees and bushes, from two to si.\ feet liom the ground. 



