164 AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 



his mate sitting in the top of an old elm tree, where they got the benefit 

 of the warm sun. 



Juncos and Tree Sparrows came up under the window too. I fre- 

 quently see little flocks of Goldfinches. One can find them by hundreds 

 in the vicinity of hemp fields. He is fond of hemp seeds. He is not 

 the bright plumaged, sweet voiced little bird we saw in the summer, 

 however. Once I read a pretty little poem about him. The last verse 

 of which, if I remember rightly, runs thus: 



"His song went back to its sacred source, 



When the winter's chill drew nigh; 



And no eye followed it in its course, 



But many a sweet wished sigh. 



His summer irock, on the golden rod, 



He hung in a fleecy roll; 



He left his cloak on the mullen stalk. 



And his message in my soul." 

 In the thickets along the streams we find Song and Fox Sparrows. 

 Sometimes they delight us with snatches of their spring songs. They 

 are very shy, though, and if one wants to hear them he must keep very 

 still. 



One day I went into an old orchard. It had been allowed to grow 

 up in weeds so thick, that, but for their brittleness, I would never have 

 made my way through them. Here and there were old brush heaps 

 and there were some briars. I found the place literally alive with 

 Juncos and Tree Sparrows. All the latter seemed to be singing, and 

 though their little song is simple, yet, all together, and in their rich 

 Canary voices, they produced some of the sweetest bird music I ever 

 heard. Once In a while I caught the whispered warble of a Junco. 



We Missourians have the little Chichadee, too; and the Woodpeckers. 

 Of the latter, at least four species winter with us — the Downy, Hairy, 

 Red-bellied and Flicker. And I have heard that the Redheaded stays 

 with us, but personally, can't say he does. He must stay hidden deep 

 down in the heart of the woods. Every day I hear the croak of the 

 Red-bellied, and occasionally the "wicker, wicker, wicker," of the 

 Flicker. Downys and Hairys are common, and may be seen in the 

 trees of the yard when the thermometer registers 15 and 18 degrees 

 below zero which is the coldest weather we have. Once in a while we 

 see White-breasted Nuthatches and Brown Creepers, but they are not 

 with us regularly, throughout the winter. 



And the same may be said of Bluebirds'and Robins. I saw a flock of 

 Bluebirds last week. Their "thoroughwert" sounds as mellow as in 

 the spring time. And the Cedar Waxwing is only occasionally seen. 



