154 
THE WHITE-THROATED FINCH. 
or a winter grape. Their principal enemies, in the day-time, are the little 
Sparrow Hawk, the Slate-coloured or Sharp-shinned Hawk, and above all, 
the Hen-harrier or Marsh Hawk. The latter passes over the little coteries 
with such light wings, and so unlooked for, that he seldom fails in securing 
one of them. 
No sooner does spring return, when our woods are covered with white 
blossoms, in gay mimicry of the now melted snows, and the delighted eye 
is attracted by the beautiful flowers of the dog-wood tree, than the White- 
throated Sparrow bids farewell to the south, not to return till winter. 
It is a plump bird, fattening almost to excess, whilst in Louisiana, and 
affords delicious eating, for which purpose many are killed with blow-guns. 
These instruments — should you not have seen them — are prepared by the 
Indians, who cut the straightest canes, perforating them by forcing a hickory 
rod through the internal partitions which intersect this species of bamboo, 
and render them quite smooth within by passing'the rod repeatedly through. 
The cane is then kept perfectly straight, and is well dried, after which it is 
ready for use. Splints of wood, or more frequently of cane, are then worked 
into tiny arrows, quite sharp at one end, and at the other, instead of being- 
feathered, covered with squirrel hair or other soft substances, in the manner 
of a bottle-brush, so as to fill the tube and receive the impulse imparted by a 
smart puff of breath, which is sufficient to propel such an arrow with force 
enough to kill a small bird at the distance of eight or ten paces. With these 
blow-guns or pipes, several species of birds are killed in large quantities ; 
and the Indians sometimes procure even squirrels by means of them. 
Dr. Richardson informs us that this species reaches the Saskatchewan in 
the middle of May, and spreads throughout the Fur Countries up to the 65th 
parallel. On the 14th of June, he found a female sitting on four eggs, at 
Cumberland House. The nest, which was placed under a fallen tree, was 
built of grass, lined with deer’s hair and a few feathers. Another found at 
Great Bear Lake was lined with the setae of bryum. The eggs were very 
pale mountain-green, thickly marbled with reddish-brown. When the female 
was disturbed, she made her escape by running silently off, in a crouching 
manner, like a Lark. I met with this species in Labrador, in considerable 
numbers, but did not find its nest, although the young were seen late in July. 
When kept in an aviary, this bird, in the latter part of spring or about 
May, sings at all hours of the night as joyously as when at liberty and 
breeding. It arrives from the north in South Carolina about the first of 
November, and departs in the end of March. In that State it is quite silent 
until the approach of night, when it chirps, as I have already described. 
The dog-ivood, of which I have represented a twig in early spring, is a 
small tree found nearly throughout the Union, but generally preferring such 
