162 Mr. Peabody on the 
The Fox-cotorep Sparrow, Fringilla iliaca, is, 
perhaps, the finest of this family of birds. It is large 
and handsome ; generally larger than Nuttall’s meas- 
urement, which is but six inches. When the eve- 
ning sun falls on its cinnamon plumage, its appearance 
is beautiful. It passes through Massachusetts on its 
way to the south, soon after the fall of the leaf, and 
returns early in the spring; it is then seen in gardens, 
scratching the ground, in search of seeds and insects, 
making no sound except alow call occasionally to its 
companions. It waits till the weather grows mild 
enough for its journey, and as soon as it determines 
to go, perches on the high branches of trees and 
sings an air, easy, flowing, clear and incomparably 
sweet. They rear their young in the British Prov- 
inces and other northern regions. 
The Grovunp Rosin, Fringilla erythropthalma, is 
an exceedingly common bird, found on the borders 
of forests and woodland roads, where it scratches 
among the dry leaves for worms and insects, $0 €N- 
tirely absorbed in its employment that any one can 
approach within a few feet of it without its taking 
any alarm. While thus engaged, it often utters the 
loud call from which it is named the pee-wink, and 
sometimes the tow-wee bunting. But at times i 
sings with much more pretension, and, perched - 
the high branch of an oak, warbles a loud, clear, and 
very agreeable song. It leaves us for the south 12 
October, and returns in April, the males coming first 
as if to make the necessary preparations. In auium? 
