82 BIKDS AND POETS 



tree was visited by a flock of cedar-birds that also 

 wintered in the vicinity. At such times it was 

 amusing to witness the pretty wrath of the blue- 

 birds, scolding and threatening the intruders, and 

 begrudging them every berry they ate. The blue- 

 bird cannot utter a harsh or unpleasing note. In- 

 deed, he seems to have but one language, one speech, 

 for both love and war, and the expression of his 

 indignation is nearly as musical as his song. The 

 male frequently made hostile demonstrations toward 

 the cedar- birds, but did not openly attack them, and, 

 with his mate, appeared to experience great relief 

 when the poachers had gone. 



I had other company in my solitude also, among 

 the rest a distinguished arrival from the far north, 

 the pine grosbeak, a bird rarely seen in these parts, 

 except now and then a single specimen. But in 

 the winter of 1875, heralding the extreme cold wea- 

 ther, and no doubt in consequence of it, there was 

 a large incursion of them into this State and New 

 England. They attracted the notice of the country 

 people everywhere. I first saw them early in De- 

 cember about the head of the Delaware. I was 

 walking along a cleared ridge with my gun, just at 

 sundown, when I beheld two strange birds sitting 

 in a small maple. On bringing one of them down, 

 I found it was a bird I had never before seen; in 

 color and shape like the purple finch, but quite as 

 large again in size. From its heavy beak, I at once 

 recognized it as belonging to the family of gros- 

 beaks. A few days later I saw large numbers of 



