creeks and streams and on the woodland border. Everywhere they are searching for 

 food. At this time the seeds of all kinds of weeds furnish their main food supply. I 

 have even observed them on hay stacks, where an abundance of timothy, millet, and 

 clover seed was found. 



In their habits they are much like our famiUar Goldfinch or Thistle-bird. They 

 are very tame and easily caught in all kinds of traps. While ieeding among the weeds 

 and in the low, dense shrubbery, they are easily startled. The alarmed flock does not 

 fly far. All alight in a neighboring tree and remain perfectly quiet. After a little while 

 a few soft notes are uttered as if to assure each other that no danger is to be feared. 

 Then they all fly down again, one after the other, searching for food as before. 



"While residing at Oak Park, 111., I had a splendid opportunity to observe these 

 and many other birds during the migration and in winter. A large garden planted with 

 fruit trees, ornamental shrubs, and evergreens, next to my house, was the favorite 

 resort of many birds. Red-polls visited this garden in large flocks. In the winter 

 of 1875 to 1876 they were especially numerous. The first few appeared by the middle 

 of November, while the majority did not arrive before the cold days of January. Among 

 the late arrivals I noticed many of a beautiful red hue. Without fear they came under 

 the kitchen windows, picking up millet, Canary seed, and crumbs of bread. The weeds 

 in the garden (a species of Ambrosia) and the hemp stalks were thoroughly searched 

 for food. Like Titmice they climbed, head downward, along the branches of shrubs 

 and weed stalks, always uttering a peculiar cbett, or cbett-cherrett. The exceedingly 

 lively and beautiful birds in company with other winter sojourners are especially striking 

 objects among the snow-laden branches of firs, spruces, and pines, and they imbue 

 such a cold and dreary winter landscape with joy and happiness. Their confidence, 

 their innocent and cheerful manners, their climbing about in all imaginable attitudes 

 combine to make them favorite pets wherever they come in contact with the lover of 

 nature. In their northern home, w^here they are seldom disturbed by human intruders, 

 they have no opportunity to make the acquaintance of man. For this reason they are 

 charmingly innocent and confiding when they make their appearance from the North. 

 Fearlessly they enter large cities and all the smaller towns. The street urchin who does 

 not take any notice of the common House Sparrow, at once takes up the chase of our 

 small native birds with stones, sling-shot, and air-gun, and numberless Warblers, Finches, 

 Creepers, and Nuthatches are killed annually in this way in our towns and cities. The 

 schools have too much to do with biology, morphology, and physiology, and so their 

 pupils are left in ignorance of the charms of nature, revealed to them in thousands of 

 beautiful birds, plants, and flowers. The children are not taught to carefully preserve the 

 beautiful in nalrure, to protect nature's poets, the birds.— The Red-polls who confidingly 

 enter the cities in great numbers, are mercilessly killed with stones and sling-shots, w^ith 

 air-guns and sticks. But they soon learn to avoid danger, becoming just as wild and 

 suspicious as they formerly were fearless and confiding. 



Their flight is not very high, and the scattered flocks move along in undulating 

 lines. They are excellent turners among the branches of bushes and trees, but on the 

 ground they hop about in a rather awkward way. Nevertheless they frequently alight 

 on the snow, picking up the seeds that have fallen down. 



