very cold weather the Tree Sparrows often frequent the door-yards and gardens. At 

 Freistatt, Lawrence Co., Mo., where my house was situated on the edge of the woods, 

 I had prepared a feeding place fbr the hungry winter birds, consisting of a bare spot, 

 surrounded by thorny brush piles and overlaid w^ith brush and some evei-green branches. 

 Here they were quite safe from their worst enemies, the prowling cats, and from birds of 

 prey. Snowbirds or Juncos, White-throated, White-crowned, and Fox-colored Sparrows, 

 Harris' Sparrows, and especially Tree Sparrows visited these feeding places regularly 

 several times each day, picking up the millet, grass seeds and crumbs of bread which I 

 had supplied for them. Such a feeding place is a source of great pleasure to the friend 

 of Nature, and he will often have the opportunity to observe birds, which, perhaps, he 

 has never seen before. In this locality I heard the song of these birds throughout the 

 winter on mild and sunny days. It is a very musical, loud, and clear chant, starting, 

 as Prof. Wm. Brewster says, with two high notes, then falling rapidly, and ending with 

 a low, sweet warble. In the Northern States I have heard the song several times in 

 November, and then again in March, just before they started for their northern breeding 

 grounds. Early in March the majority leaves the Ozark region, and by the end of that 

 month most have departed from Milwaukee, although I have seen stragglers there until 

 April 20. 



Even in North Dakota this Finch is a very abundant winter bird. "At Fort 

 Randall," says Dr. Elliott Coues, "I found the birds as abundant as I have ever seen 

 them anywhere, during pleasant weather in the month of October. All the undergrowth 

 of the river-bottom w^as full of them, in troops sometimes numbering hundreds, singing 

 as gaily, it seemed to me, as in spring time. With the colder w^eather of the following 

 month, so many moved off that I thought none would remain to endure the rigor of 

 winter, but such proved to be not the case. The remainder simply retreated to the 

 deepest recesses of the shrubbery, where, protected from the biting winds, if not from 

 the cold, they passed the winter, and to all appearances very comfortably. I account 

 for their remaining at this inclement season, by the profusion of seeds of various kinds 

 that are to be obtained during the whole winter ; certainly, those that I examined were 

 in good condition, and generally had the crop well filled. Their seclusion and quietness 

 at this season is remarkable, and causes them to be in a great measure overlooked. 

 On several occasions, wherl the thermometer was below zero, the river was frozen solid 

 for two feet deep, and snow on the ground, I have unexpectedly come upon little groups 

 of these birds, hiding away close to the ground among and under network of vines and 

 rank herbage, close enough to collect and retain a mantle of snow. When startled at. such 

 times they have a low, pleasant chirp as they flutter into sight among the bushes, scat- 

 tering a little, but only to collect again and seek their snug retreat as soon as left to 

 themselves. Whether rendered careless by the cold, or through a natural heedlessness, 

 they are very tame at such times ; they sit unconcernedly on the twigs, it may be but 

 a few feet distant, chirping cheerfully, with the plumage all loosened and puffy, making 

 very pretty 'roly-poly' looking objects. There is a particular kind of plant here, the 

 seeds of which endure all winter, furnishing a favorite repast. In a clump of these tall 

 weeds dozens of the birds may be seen together, busily feeding. Some, more energetic, 

 spring up and cling to the swaying panicles, picking away, while others gather about 



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