324 BIRDS OF MASSACHUSETTS. 



in winter and returns in April, when it resorts to fields and 

 open plains. Audubon says, that it breeds in all places from 

 Maryland to Labrador. If so, the nest probably can be found 

 here, though it may be easily mistaken for that of the species 

 last described. 



The Snow-bird, Pringilla hiemalis, commonly called the 

 blue snow-bird, to distinguish it from the snow-bunting, a bird 

 much less common than this, comes to us just in advance of 

 the wintry desolation, an infallible sign that the dreary season 

 is at hand ; dreary to us, it would be proper to say ; for this 

 little traveller, though it retreats before it, evidently has no 

 fear of its cold and snow. It is almost always seen here in 

 company v/ith the tree-sparrows. After doing all they can to 

 pick up a subsistence from the frozen ground, they come round 

 our houses to gather crumbs, or any morsels of provision that 

 may have been cast out from the door ; and if a handful of 

 meal is thrown to them, they receive it with great delight. 

 After remaining with us as long as possible, in the heart of the 

 winter, they are compelled to remove ; but with the first 

 glimpse of spring they reappear, resorting to orchards or to 

 the edges of the wood, and roosting in hay-stacks, when the 

 nights are severely cold. They are only summer residents in 

 the fur countries, and never abound there. Wilson tells us 

 that they sometimes breed in the Alleghany mountains. 



The Yellow-shouldered Sparrow, Fringilla savan7ia7'um, 

 comes from Mexico and the West-India islands, where it passes 

 the winter. It pays us a passing visit, when it attracts some 

 attention by its song ; but it soon hurries on to some other 

 breeding-place. While here, it prefers the neighborhood of 

 the sea, where it explores newly ploughed fields in search of 

 insects and seeds. It never retires to the woods. 



The Tree-Sparrow. Fringilla Canadensis, arrives from 

 the north at the approach of winter, and remains here during I 

 most of that season. It is called the snow-bird, by many, and 



