OF AN ORNITHOLOGIST. 43 
lets, and the spotted Woodpeckers we so frequently meet 
in our forest walks. 
Although the smallest of all our birds, except the Hum- 
ming Bird, the Gold-crested Kinglet (Regulus satrapa 
Licht. ) is one of the most Jaig « of our winter visitors, 
and is the more interesting from his exceeding diminu- 
tiveness. With a body hirdly larger than a hickory nut, 
it is so thickly clothed with dowaiy: plumage that on a cold 
morning, when every delicate feather is fully expanded he 
looks Tike a ball of animated down, and thus clad, he is 
able to defy old Boreas, 
Our winter field birds, like the field birds of summer, 
are chiefly members of the numerous Sparrow and Finch 
family, or Fringillide. Among them the beautiful Snow 
Bunting (Plectiopiiies nivalis Meyer) is one of the lar- 
gest, and when whirling from field to field in compact 
flocks, their white wings glistening in the sunlight, form 
one of the most attractive sights of winter; and most 
commonly appearing about the time of heavy falls of snow, 
and disappearing during continued fine weather, there is 
in the popular mind a degree of mystery attached to their 
history, being the “Bad weather Birds” of the supersti- 
cious. Cold half-arctie countries being their chosen home, 
they only favor us with their presence during those short 
intervals when their food in the northern fields is too 
deeply buried ; and being strong of wing and exceedingly 
rapid in flight, they can in a few hours leave the plain for 
the mountain, or migrate hundreds of miles to the north- 
ward. The most cotta and frequently seen however, 
is the Yellow Bird (Chrysomitris tristis Bon.), but so 
changed in appearance in his plain winter suit of drab, 
that he is scarcely recognised as the beautiful Gold- 
finch we so much admired in summer. Feeding on the- 
