32 BIRDS OF IVIGTUT. 



from the rest for fear of his injuring, or perhaps killing 

 them. They are usually sociable, even during the nfesting- 

 season. 



When a flock is approached one sounds" a note of warning, 

 which generally attracts a dozen who call out like the first, 

 though they soon fall to singing and teasing one another, 

 showing but little fear of the disturber, and often flying or 

 hopping within six feet of him. Then, all of a sudden, some 

 one calls " time," and in a wink they are away. They are 

 always restless, — always on the go. During the summer 

 they live to a great extent on insects, and one which I shot 

 on the 2d of July had its oesophagus full of small flies. 



Their song, which they deliver both when flying and perch- 

 ing, is but ordinary, and consists mostly of trills, reminding 

 one of the song of Fringilla chloris. 



I tried to examine their various garbs and moulting, both 

 on some thirty captured birds and on wild ones, but have 

 not yet come to any final conclusion in that matter. During 

 the winter, from the close of November to May, I did not 

 keep any birds captive, and my identification of the sexes 

 was based chiefly on difEerence of voice and color. 



Their usual summer garb, worn during the hatching-season, 

 and until the beginning of July, is a uniform dark-gray one 

 on the back, the sides gray with white stripes, a blackish 

 fleck on the throat, a blackish bill, and a crown of crimson. 

 About seven per cent are tinged with a i-osy color on the 

 upper tail-coverts, and especially on ^le breast. A few had 

 also a reddish tint on the malar region, though otherwise 

 darker colored. The males which I saw at the nests had 

 red crests, but were nowhere else red-colored. 



The moulting begins in July or August, and then the 

 birds lose all this red color, even the briglitest-colored 

 males. In the autumn dress, which they tiien obtain, they 



