524 The Eastern Snow-Bird. [July, 
“ He ate every kind of food that he saw the others eat. When 
satiated he would get into a seed cup and throw out the larger 
seed, such as unhulled rice. He would then flirt with his feet 
like a chicken, and in a few minutes empty a cup of seed. After 
a while I placed a small flat wooden plant label across the cup, 
held in place by the wire of the cage to prevent him throwing 
out seed. He would hop along the top of it with the greatest 
delight, producing well measured sounds, by one end of the label 
being raised and then suddenly brought down with a sharp clap. 
While thus performing for minutes at a time, he often uttered low 
notes, and seemed to keep perfect time with his feet.” 
So it turned out that the little snow-bird was the coquinet, the 
clever little rascal of the establishment. I think his ability was 
exceptional. Perhaps he was a genius in his way ; and being too 
roguishly cute for the general comfort, he must needs go into 
exile for the good of the community. 
Dr. Kunzé informs me that quite a trade is carried on in New 
York exporting the snow-bird, Junco hyemalis, to Europe, and 
what seems strange is the fact, that the snow-bunting, Plectro- 
phanes nivalis, is imported by us from Europe. But I must again 
quote my friend's letters; he says that ‘‘ Reiche Brothers, of New 
York, sometimes take a lot of snow-birds to Europe, more for 
experiment than to fill orders. A smaller dealer is Mr. Schlawe, 
who is also trapper and fowler, and who watches the habits of our 
birds that are in demand very closely. He says that of all birds 
the snow-bird is certainly difficult to catch, notwithstanding the 
presence of great numbers in the field. No kind of food, or 
call-note will enchant this bird, or bring him with any kind of 
calculation under the fowler’s devices. He claims that most of 
the snow-birds caught are accidental catches, and that it happens 
when fowlers set limed rods for other birds! Out of a hundred 
birds thus caught, only a very few are snow-birds; and oftener 
none at all. They will not enter a trap cage. He says that the 
bird is in fair demand, and that he could sell more than he caught. 
He says he has kept him through the summer very well, and that 
he is certainly a most hardy cage-bird. He often takes many = 
Europe on a single trip, and never lost a single specimen *” 
transitu. He often takes these transatlantic journeys. On one 
of them he had forty snow-birds in one cage, and landed all 
safely in Germany, finding a market for them in Berlin without 
any difficulty.” : 
