AMERIOAN ORNITHOLOGY. 53 



February 10, 1902. 



February opened with a snowy, fairy morning, each limb and twig covered 

 with frost. There had been delightful sleighing. This morning I looked 

 from an upper window down upon a plump, pretty creature in the grape 

 vines. These, the Red-birds have been haunting all winter, after the dried 

 grapes, many of which we left upon the upper vines. One or two birds have 

 roosted there at night, fluttering out, if we opened the door, or pumped water 

 from the well close by. 



Surely, never before have I noticed what a beautiful combination of col- 

 ors is made of red and gray. The bird's back, head and shoulders were a 

 lovely, soft, green-gray, through which peeped a tiny red top-knot. Wings 

 and tail were streaked with gray, the red as if showing through, with a pink- 

 red effect. A little later, I watched a bright red male eating snow from the 

 top of a lattice. 



Having read accounts of the male Red-bird's change of hue in the winter, 

 I was for a long time puzzled. But we see the bright cardinals in the midst 

 of our Ohio winters. The gray-streaked birds are without doubt the females,, 

 one of which I both heard and saw sing, the throat quivering with the utter- 

 ance of "Wh't chee-eer? tlk ! tlk!" ;, 



March 6, 1902. 



The day has been beautiful, with sunshine and a blue sky. Cardinals 

 have been almost constantly singing. At dusk I heard the Robin's cheery 

 call, as if summer were here. In the afternoon we drove along the river; 

 great blocks of ice lay upon the river bank like piles of stone slabs. The 

 river was pretty, reflecting the blue. 



First, we heard a Song Sparrow; then a Meadow Lark sang and a Crow 

 called. Next, a little flock of Juncos flew into an orchard, and across Jthe 

 way, a beautiful Blue-bird sang, swinging on an apple twig. About a 

 wood pile and brush heaps flew some little chickadees ; a little farther on a 

 flock of from twenty to thirty Crows were holding some sort of a meeting 

 in a tree top. It was, possibly, a political convention or election, and, judg- 

 ing by the noise and excitement, a close contest. 



From an apple tree called a Robin, jerking his tail up or down every time 

 he said "Quirk I quirk! quirk! quirk!" Blue-bird, Crow,, Junco, Robin, 

 Tree-Sparrow, Cardinal, Nuthatch, Meadow Lark, Chickadee, Song Spar- 

 row, Tufted Titmouse and Downy Woodpecker, a round dozen, made our 

 list for this date. 



March 20, 1902. 

 How many Blue-birds everywhere ! Today the}'- are in pairs, and what 

 lovely mates! It seems to me. that there is nothing daintier, more exquisite 



