1 82 Ways of Wood Folk. 



approach. The beak is short and thick ; the back of 

 the head and a large patch just above the tail are gol- 

 den brown ; and across the wings are narrow double 

 bars of white. All the rest is soft gray, dark above and 

 light beneath. If you watch them on the ground, you 

 will see that they have a curious way of moving about, 

 like a golden-winged woodpecker in the same position. 

 Sometimes they put' one foot before the other, in' a 

 funny little attempt at a dignified walk, like the black- 

 birds; again they hop like a robin, but much more 

 awkwardly, as if they were not accustomed to walking, 

 and did not quite know how to use their feet — which 

 is quite true. 



The birds are pine-grosbeaks, and are somewhat 

 irregular winter visitors from the far north. Only 

 when the cold is most severe, and the snow lies deep 

 about Hudson Bay, do they leave their nesting places 

 to spend a few weeks in bleak New England as a win- 

 ter resort. Their stay with us is short and uncertain. 

 Long ere the first bluebird has whistled to us from 

 the old fence rail that, if we please, spring is coming, 

 the grosbeaks are whistling of spring, and singing 

 their love songs in the forests of Labrador. 



A curious thing about the flocks we see in winter 

 is that they are composed almost entirely of females. 

 The male bird is very rare with us. You can tell 

 him instantly by his brighter color and his beautiful 



