AMERICAN GOLDFINCH. 349 



this part of New England throughout that season ; and some- 

 times, in company with the Snow Buntings, in the inclement 

 months of January and February, they may be seen busily 

 employed in gleaning a scanty pittance from the seeds of the 

 taller weeds, which rise above the deep and drifted snows. As 

 late as the isth of September I have observed a nest of the 

 Yellow Bird with the young still unfledged. Their migrations 

 are very desultory, and do not probably extend very far, their 

 progress being apparently governed principally by the scarcity 

 or abundance of food with which they happen to be supplied. 

 Thus, though they may be numerous in the depth of winter, as 

 soon as the weather relaxes in the month of March, scarcely 

 any more of them are to be seen, having at this time, in quest 

 of sustenance, proceeded probably to the southern extremity of 

 the United States. Those observed in tropical America may 

 be hibernal wanderers from the cooler parts of Mexico. At 

 all events they select the milder climates of the Union in 

 which to pass the breeding season, as at this time they are but 

 rarely seen in the Southern States, Kentucky being about the 

 boundary of their summer residence. 



Naturally vagrant and wandering, they continue to live in 

 flocks or in near vicinage, even throughout the greatest part of 

 the selective season. As the fine weather of spring approaches 

 they put off' their humble winter dress, and the males, now 

 appearing in their temporary golden livery, are heard tuning 

 their lively songs' as it were in concert, several sitting on the 

 same tree enjoying the exhilarating scene, basking and pluming 

 themselves, and vying with each other in the delivery of their 

 varied, soft, and cheerful warble. They have also the faculty 

 of sinking and raising their voices in such a delightful cadence 

 that their music at times seems to float on the distant breeze, 

 scarcely louder than the hum of bees ; it then breaks out as it 

 were into a crescendo, which rings like the loud song of the 

 Canary. In cages, to which they soon become familiar and 

 reconciled, their song is nearly as sonorous and animated as 

 that of the latter. When engaged in quarrel they sometimes 

 hurl about in a whole flock, some, as it were, interfering tp 



