AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST 
FOR THE 
UTa/r-m, GrarcLen, and Honseliold. 
“AGRICULTURE 18 THE MOST HEALTHFUL, MOST USEFUL, AN1> MOST NOBLE EMPLOYMENT OF MAN.” —Washington. 
obange jttdd company, 
Publishers and Proprietors, 245 Broadway 
ESTABLISHED IN 1842. 
German Edition issued at the same rates as in English. 
j TERMS: $1.50 per Annum in Advance, post-free, 
1 Four Copies $5.— Single Number, 15 Cents. 
VOLUME 
-No. 1. 
NEW YORK, JANUARY, 1880 
NEW SERIES—No. 396. 
Birds in winter are always welcome. Perhaps we 
notice them more readily when the whole landscape 
is covered with snow ; their quick motions bring 
life to the profound quiet, and their chirpings seem 
like music in the noiseless winter morning. Even 
a few Chicadees and common Snow-birds are wel¬ 
come, for their quick and pleasing motions, but 
when the north wind brings down a whole flock of 
Snow Buntings, then there is life in earnest. Our 
farmer artist, to whom we are indebted for many 
drawings of birds from life, gives us a view of a 
visit of the Snow Buntings, which he entitles 
“The Farmer’s New Tear’s Callers.” The 
Snow Bunting, or Snow-flake, is found 
throughout the Arctic circle, and comes down 
to us only in winter, being quite frequent 
along our northern border, and sometimes 
reaches as far south as Maryland. The birds 
fly in large and compact flocks, and as they 
often come before driving winds and 
sweeping snow-storms, their appearance is 
regarded as the forerunner of severe 
weather. Being deprived of nearly all food 
in their northern home, their journey southward is 
apparently one of necessity ; they do not remain 
long at any place until they reach the vicinity of 
the sea-coast, where, in the salt marshes, they be¬ 
come very fat. Inland they appear to be very un¬ 
settled and impatient; they sometimes settle in 
large numbers near the house, alighting on fences 
and hushes, or in the yards and roads, actively seek¬ 
ing food. It is an act of kindness to do as our 
farmer is doing, and welcome the callers with a bit 
of cheer. The bird comes to us in its winter dress, 
in which white predominates, with cloudings of 
brown, and occasionally the back, wings, and tail, 
variegated with black. It is sometimes called the 
“ White Snow-bird,” to distinguish it from the 
more frequent winter visitor. The Snow Bunting, 
while it feeds mainly upon seeds, is very fond of 
small shell fish, frequenting both fresh and salt 
marshes in search of these. Aside from the pleas¬ 
ure they afford to those who welcome them as im¬ 
parting life to the winter scene, others take a differ¬ 
ent view of them, and consider their value by the 
dozen in the market. After they have been in our 
latitude, especially if near the coast, for a short 
time, they become very fat, and are regarded as 
most delicate eating; they are often sold in our 
markets as “Ortolans.” They often fly in such 
dense masses, that they are shot in great numbers; 
and many are also taken in traps. In Northern 
Europe the coming of these birds is a great event 
for the poorer classes, as it allows them to have a 
time of feasting. In some European countries they 
are caught and fattened for the table, and in far 
northern countries they are dried for future use. 
Copyright, 1879, by Orange Judd Company. 
