actically absent in the
winter, except in much diminished numbers close to the border. The
bluebird is similarly absent; the great flocks of blackbirds are gone;
the bobolink is missing entirely; the thrush and the catbird have all
left; the flicker and red-headed woodpecker are also spending their
winter in the South. The great mass of our bird population has left us
until warmer weather shall bring back to us once more our feathered
friends. It is true that we are south to the snowbirds or juncos, and
their little slate-colored bodies, with their light breasts and their
white on each side of the tail, make our bare hedge rows brighter by
their presence. A few of our birds like the song sparrow and the
cardinal are hidden away in the thicket, and have not all joined their
comrades in the south.

The English sparrow was once probably quite as migratory as any of the
rest of these, but a great change has come over his habits. With his
newly acquired fondness for the haunts of men he has suffered a change
in this respect also. Whatever may have been his reason for migrating,
it no longer holds. He now finds himself quite able to stand the cold
of winter. Accordingly he never leaves us, except very temporarily.
When the migrating season comes the sparrows of the neighborhood are
very likely to gather themselves together in a single group and take
to the neighboring country. I believe this flocking on their part at
this time of the year is a remnant of the old migratory habit. Until
snow covers the ground the sparrow is not likely to be seen again in
such numbers in the city. The advantage the sparrow gains over his
competitors by not going south does not appear during winter. When
spring comes, however, his gain is evident. He has his choice of all
the nesting sites in the region. When the migratory birds return every
first-class place is filled by a sparrow's nest. Nothing but second
choice situations remain, and with these the late comers must be
content. When we consider how much the safety of the next generation
depends upon the security of the young while helpless in the nest, we
appreciate what the English sparrow has gained by staying throughout
the year. Often while the season is so inclement that it would seem
there is still danger of frost, the sparrow builds her nest. All sorts
of places are open to her choice. She will find a protected corner
under a roof, above a spout, in the corner of the porch, behind an
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