532 GRANIVOROUS BIRDS. 



varied lay of the Nightingale, the ravishing performer, 

 as if in serious emulation, seems to study every art to 

 produce the effect of brilliant and well contrasted har- 

 mony. As he sits on the topmost bough of some tall sap- 

 ling or more lofty tree, surveying the wide landscape, 

 his proud voice and elevated action seem to bid defiance 

 to competition, and while thus earnestly engaged, he 

 seems to fear no spectator, however near may be his ap- 

 proaches. The rapidity of his performance, and the pre- 

 eminent execution with which it is delivered, seem almost 

 like the effort of a musical box, or fine-toned, quickly 

 moving, delicate strain on the organ. While feeding, 

 in the month of March, they also utter a querulous 

 tshippee tshee, in nearly the same sad and liquid tone as 

 that uttered by the Yellow-birds while thus engaged. 

 The dull colored birds, in the attire of the female, 

 do not sing either so well, or in the same manner as the 

 crimson-colored individuals, though, as in the Pine Gros- 

 beak, it is probable, that the brilliant color is merely con- 

 fined to youngish birds ; and hence those in cages, which 

 lose that fine tint, are only the more adult individuals, in 

 which this deterioration of color is natural. 



Although several pair of these birds usually pass the 

 summer in this vicinity, in spite of the utmost diligence 

 continued for three years, I have never yet been able 

 to discover their nests, although I have seen the female 

 collecting wool from a fence for the purpose, so that I 

 imagine it will be found to be very like that of the 

 Yellow-bird, matted and lined with soft substances. 

 General Dearborn, however, informed me, that he had 

 seen the nest of this species (in July, 1830) containing 

 young, fixed on the low, horizontal branch of a balsam- 

 fir, contiguous to a house, and even near a path. The 

 outside appeared to be lined with lichens, and the whole 



