Effects of a sudden Thaw on Forest Travelling. 159 



CHAPTER VII. 



Discomforts of Sleighing during Thaws — Effects of unusually Cold Sea- 

 sons on Winter Migratory Birds— Winter Breeding Birds — Crossbills 

 and their Varieties of Plumage — Possible Causes of the Crossing of the 

 Mandibles and Bending of the Beaks of certain Birds— Deformed 

 Beaks of Birds — Habits and Modes of Nesting of the White-winged 

 Crossbill — The Pine Bullfinch — Redpoll — Snow Bunting — Snow 

 Bird — Familiarity of Forest-loving Birds— Partridges and their un- 

 suspicious Ways — Partridge Shooting — Dogs trained to Point at 

 Partridges in Trees. 



I WAS in the habit of making regular excursions to the 

 wilderness in early spring, for the purpose of studying the 

 habits and modes of nesting of the earliest breeding birds, such 

 as the crossbills and others. The difficulties, however, of sleigh- 

 ing at this season, especially in the bye-roads and more un- 

 frequented thoroughfares, are occasionally so great that few 

 residents attempt long journeys until the greater portion 

 of the snow has melted. A heavy fall at the beginning of 

 March, 1868, added to what remained, gave an average of 

 five feet, so that a sudden thaw would, as a matter of course, 

 render the roads all but impassable for horses. Unfortunately, 

 when I then started, on the 16th of the month, a south-east 

 wind gave indication of a thaw ; hoping, however, that the 

 thermometer would fall at night, I loaded the sleigh, and with 

 a guide set off for the village of Stanley, distant some twenty- 

 five miles. My companion, although experienced in travelling, 

 was as little aware as myself of the difficulties before us. 

 For the first few miles things went on smoothly enough ; the 

 pathway had been well beaten by teams, so that horse and 

 sleigh swept along without hindrance. However, the soft 



