GENERAL FEATURES. ig 



indignation by chippering saucily, keeping time with vehement jerks 

 of the body and spasmodic flourishes of the tail, which he has by no 

 means neglected to cock up over his arched back. Crossing the 

 crest of the divide the coarse croak of a Raven greets our ears; and, 

 descending into the valley below, the shrill cry of a wary Loon, from 

 the distant lake, melts away into the evening air, and the silence of 

 the fast -approaching twilight is unbroken save by the soft flute-like 

 song of the sombre Thrush. 



During winter and early spring the birds one is most apt to find 

 here are the White-winged and Red Crossbills, the Blue and Canada 

 Jays, Black-capped and Hudsonian Titmice, Nuthatches, Ravens, 

 several species of Woodpeckers, the Ruffed and Spruce Grouse, and 

 once in a while an Owl. Sometimes the Pine Grosbeak is common, 

 in flocks; and occasionally, during February, March, and April, the 

 Wilderness literally swarms with Pine Linnets which then breed here 

 in thousands and may hardly be seen again for several years. 



In autumn, durine the fall mitrrations, the most marked feature in 

 the bird line consists in what I have for many years designated the 

 " mixed flocks." At this season one may hunt for hours and scarce- 

 ly see a bird, when, suddenly, he finds himself surrounded by a host 

 of individuals, representing many species and pertaining to widely 

 different families. To illustrate, I quote from my journal under date 

 of October, 1879 — a lowery day — the locality being Big Moose Lake 

 in the heart of the Wilderness. " During the afternoon one of those 

 mixed flocks of birds, so characteristic of the Adirondacks at this sea- 

 son, passed slowly by our camp and I stepped out, in the rain, and 

 watched them till all were gone. There were at least fift)^ Robins 

 and they loaded down a mountain ash, feeding upon its berries and 

 making a most unnecessary amount of noise — very unlike their con- 

 duct at home, where, when similarly engaged in our garden, they are 

 noted for their silence. In the trees overhead were several Blue Jays, 

 and in the under^rrowth and amonq;st the fallen timber were laree 

 numbers of Slate-colored Snow-birds, a few White-throated, Sonof, 



