39. 
F ebruary 17, 1900 - Saturday . 
This morning a white-breasted nuthatch was 
out in the little elm. He was singing ery-ery-eiy 
He would raise his head up and gradually lower it 
with his body till it was even with the branch 
while he was giving the song. I heard some birds 
that looked like pine siskins flying this morning. 
They lit on a tall weed over by Mr. "isks. Their 
notes were sharper than those of the pine siskin. 
They were redpolls and I was glad to see them. 
Their notes were chett -cherrett . A he back was 
brownish grey streaked with black and a white 
stripe on the lower back. Wings with one white 
bar, belly and breast white, sides sti’eaked with 
black, breast tinged with red. Crown cap bright 
crimson, tail medium, notched, bend of wings 
white. Small patch on throat black. Slightly 
larger than a chipping sparrow. A hey were 
startled by any sudden noise like the slamming 
of a door and would fly up and light on a fence 
or a tree a few feet away and then go back down. 
They let me get quite close. They went on the 
ground for seeds and hopped. They are like the 
American goldfinch in habits and notes. Then as 
my feet were very cold I went home. 
February 19, 1900 - Monday . 
Was sick all day yesterday and today. Mrs. 
Lav/ton came in and said that the evening gros¬ 
beaks were there again. 
February 20, 1900 - Tuesday . 
This morning mother asked me what those large 
birds were in Mr. Petty’s box elder tree. They 
were evening grosbeaks. There were about 15 of 
them. They went out along the branches easily to 
get at the bunches of seeds and hanging head down 
while eating them. About half of them were 
males showing the yellow plainly. A xvoman came 
over and pumped a pail of water right under them 
but they were not afraid. After eating all the 
