SNOW BIRD. 273 



is usually called falling weather, assemble in larger flocks, and 



seem doubly diligent in searching for food. This increased 



activity is generally a sure prognostic of a storm. When 



deep snows cover the ground, they become almost half 



domesticated. They collect about the barn, stables, and 



other outhouses, spread over the yard, and even round the 



steps of the door ; not only in the country and villages, but 



in the heart of our large cities, crowding around the threshold 



early in the morning, gleaning up the crumbs, appearing very 



lively and familiar. They have also recourse, at this severe 



season, when the face of the earth is shut up from them, to 



the seeds of many kinds of weeds that still rise above the 



snow, in corners of fields, and low, sheltered situations along 



the borders of creeks and fences, where they associate with 



several species of sparrows, particularly those represented on 



the same plate. They are, at this time, easily caught with 



almost any kind of trap ; are generally fat, and, it is said, are 



excellent eating. 



I cannot but consider this bird as the most numerous of its 



tribe of any within the United States. From the northern 



parts of the district of Maine, to the Ogeechee river in Georgia, 



a distance, by the circuitous route in which I travelled, of 



more than 1800 miles, I never passed a day, and scarcely a 



mile, without seeing numbers of these birds, and frequently 



large flocks of several thousands. Other travellers with whom 



I conversed, who had come from Lexington in Kentucky, 



through Virginia, also declared that they found these birds 



numerous along the whole road. It should be observed, that 



the roadsides are their favourite haunts, where many rank 



weeds that grow along the fences furnish them with food, and 



the road with gravel. In the vicinity of places where they 



were most numerous, I observed the small hawk, represented 



in the same plate, and several others of his tribe, watching 



their opportunity, or hovering cautiously around, making an 



occasional sweep among them, and retiring to the bare branches 



of an old cypress to feed on their victim. In the month of 

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