42 ON THE BIRDS' HIGHWAY 



coggin was not fordable, and we had to 

 drive far up the valley. Mount Wash- 

 ington, Boots Spur, and in fact the whole 

 Presidential Range, were visible to their 

 snow-clad summits ; from the head of 

 Mine Brook bridge the mountain view 

 was superb. 



After crossing the Androscoggin, we 

 headed back down the valley under the 

 shadow of Mount Winthrop, and passed 

 the town pound. As the wagon rolled 

 along I caught sight of two pine gros- 

 beaks, who flew into some low trees. A 

 few minutes later, far up on Mount Win- 

 throp, we saw a large flock, climbing 

 about the icy surface of Moses Ledge ; 

 one of the grosbeaks was climbing among 

 the ice-bound hemlock boughs that had 

 lodged half way down the ledge. I col- 

 lected a specimen of this bird, and on 

 examining the stomach post mortem I 

 found in it, strange to say, small pieces 

 of ice, — a means of getting water, no 

 doubt. These were the first pine gros- 

 beaks we had seen, and I believe that 

 they had left the southern side of the 

 valley and sought the northern and its 

 cooler woods. 



