Lexingtwn , Mass. 
Y°u remember the late Snowbird,- Junco,- that Mr. Holden found 
in Melrose? It proved to be a male assisting in rearing a nestful 
of young Chippies. When the nest was first discovered (by Holden 
and Torrey ) the male Chippie was not seen, but on a subsequent day 
(when the young had all escaped from the nest, through Holden'- s 
negligence), a pair of Chippies were seen associated with the Sno w*- 
bird. On this day I had joined Holden and Torrey without any pre- 
monition and hence had no gun, — but the young scanned closely at 
near range looted like Chippies pure and simple. On the following 
day I went out with a gun, but the young birds were in the tops 
one- 
of tall pines r and the only^ killed f had to be shot at close range 
from the summit of a neighboring tree. The result was little more 
than one wing secured. I have little doubt myself that the young 
birds were of pure Cnippie blood and that the Snowbird was lending 
a hand through pure kindness of heart. 
Walter Faxon (letter July I, 1391 )„ 
Q I 
