“Although the Snow Birds live in little families, consisting of twenty, thirty, or more individuals, they seem always inclined to keep up a certain degree of etiquette among themselves, and will not suffer one of their kind, or indeed any other bird, to come into immediate contact with them.  To prevent intrusions of this kind, when a stranger comes too near, their little bills are instantly opened, their wings are extended, their eyes are seen to sparkle, and they emit a repelling sound peculiar to themselves on such occasions.”

[. . .] “I have seen the Snow Birds far up the Arkansas, and in the province of Maine, as well as on our Upper Lakes.  I have been told of their congregating so as to form large flocks of a thousand individuals, but have never seen so many together.  Their flesh is extremely delicate and juicy, and on this account small strings of them are frequently seen in the New Orleans market, during the short period of their sojourn [early November to the beginning of spring] in that district.”