Snowflake SONG-BIRDS. 



Season : An erratic winter visitor. Late October to March and early 

 April. 



Breeds : Mostly north of the United States, and in the Rocky Moun- 

 tain region. Casually in northern New England and New York 

 State. 



Nest : Rare, high in evergreens, principally. 



Eggs : Light green, spotted with brown. 



Range : North America generally, in winter south to the Gulf States 

 and Mexico. 



The Pine Siskin, as its name implies, is a lover of ever- 

 greens, and spends the winter in roving from copse to copse. 

 It is strictly a seed-eater, and consumes alike the kernel? *&* 

 large cones and the seeds of low herbs. It has the dipp ' i * 

 flight of the Goldfinch, and many other characteristics ' f . 

 the two birds are similar. You will be most likely to ide-t 

 tify the Pine Siskin as it clings to tufts of spruce cones, 

 peering between their scales ; the sulphur-yellow tinge of 

 the feathers showing plainly against the deep green. 



Dr. Jonathan Dwight, Jr., who heard these Siskins sing- 

 ing between March 15, and May 2, at Kockaway and Cypress 

 Hills Cemetery, says that their song is a "soliloquizing 

 gabble, interspersed with a prolonged wheeze — a pro- 

 longation of their usual note while flying." Mr. Bicknell 

 adds : " This hoarse note sometimes sounds like a common 

 note of the English House Sparrow. Before it was familiar" 

 to me, it was with no little surprise that I heard at Big 

 Moose Lake, deep in the Adirondack wilderness, a bird not 

 so suggestive of city streets." 



Snowflake: Plectrophanes nivalis. 



Snow Bunting. 



Plate 28. Fig. 1. 

 Length : 1 inches. ' 



Male and Female: Summer plumage white, with the exception ■ 

 black back, white-banded wings, tail, and band across bacJ; 

 Winter plumage soft browns and white, — dead-leaf colours an. 

 snow. Bill and feet black. 

 Song: Thoreau says, "a soft, rippling note." 

 Season : A midwinter visitor, especially in snowy seasons. 



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