
          459

was not my favorite spot for collecting this plant, I did not spend
much time examining them, cutting off but one spathe which I put
into my vasculum.  I was soon attracted, though, by seeing quite
a number of plump little brown birds, about the size of our Eng. sparrow,
playing in the snow.  While going along the road, I noticed
in a field the marks [foot-prints] of birds, that had been after seed.  I asked
a gunner, who was passing, if he knew what had made their marks
he said "Snow-birds".  Thinking of snow-birds made me at once
conclude that the little birds must be snow-birds, they at any
rate would well deserve the name.  I met them several times, either
resting in the snow, or jumping about in it.  When disturbed they generally
sought shelter in some little low thicket.  Their heads and feet
were brown, their wings seemed mottled or barred somewhat with
black, they were a light fawn color on the breast and underneath.

In my first flock I noticed several which were much darker than the
others.  They had a plaintiff little cry, yet in the first flock 
I heard several times a sweet little chord several times. While
looking at these birds, I heard off in the woods another bird.
It <s>made</s> uttered but two notes which it again repeated yet each note vibrated with so much
volume of sound, that I thought them beautiful beyond description.
        