FRINGILLID.E — THE FINCH ES. 



71 



fjedyineles melanor'i'k 



Hab. Eastern United States to the Missouri plains; south to Ecuador. Honduras 

 (Moore, P. Z. S. 1859, 58); Xalapa (Scl. 1859, 365); Bogota (Scl. 1855, 154); Cordova 

 (ScL. 1856, 301); Guatemala (Scl. Ibis, I, IT); Cuba (Cab. J. VI, 9); Ecuador (Scl. 

 1860, 298); Uosta Rica (Cab. J. Gl, 71) ; (Lawr. IX, 102) ; Panama (Lawr. VII, 1861, 

 297) ; Vera Cruz, winter (SrM. M. B. S. I, 552) ; Yucatan (Lawr. Ann. IX, 210). 



Habits. The Rose-breasted Grosbeak, during the suiiuuer months, appears 

 to have a widely extended area of distri- 

 bution, tliough nowhere a very abundant 

 species, and one of somewhat irregular 

 occurrence. It is found as far to the east 

 as Nova Scotia, to the north as Selkirk 

 Settlement and the valley of the Sas- 

 katchewan, and to the west as Nebraska. 

 It winters in great numbers in Guate- 

 mala. In the last-named country, while 

 abundant in the Vera Paz, it was not 

 found at Duenas, but was a common 

 cage-bird in the city of Guatemala. It 

 was also found common at Herradiira, in Colombia, South America, by Mr. 

 C. W. Wyatt. 



This bird was noticed on a single occasion near San Antonio by ]\Ir. 

 Dresser, but was not observed by Dr. Woodhouse in Texas, or in the Indian 

 Territory. Sumichrast did not meet with it in Vera Cruz. At St. Stephens, 

 N. B., Mr. Boardman found this species a regular summer visitant, but rare, 

 nor did ^Ir. \'errill find it common in the western part of Maine. In Mas- 

 sachusetts this bird becomes more common, liut is nowhere very abun- 

 dant. It has been met wnth iu various places in the eastern part of the 

 State, but rarely, and only in restricted localities. In the western part of the 

 State it is more numerous, as well as throughout the whole of the Connecti- 

 cut Valley. At Springfield, Mr. Allen notes it as a summer visitant, breed- 

 ing in the open woods, but not abundant. He is of the opinion that 

 during the past twenty-five years this bird has increased in numbers in all 

 parts of the State. Mr. Allen found this bird quite common in Southern 

 Indiana, in Northern Illinois, and in Western Iowa, where he found it fre- 

 quent in the groves along the streams. Dr. Coues mentions it as rare and 

 only migratory in South Carolina. Mr. Mcllwraith gives it as a summer 

 resident in the vicinity of Hamilton, Canada, where it is very generally dis- 

 tributed throughout the open woods, arriving there the second week in May. 

 It is also found throughout Vermont, in favorable situations in open woods, 

 on the borders of streams. It is not uncommon in the vicinity of Randolph, 

 where it regularly breeds. 



Wilson, who enjoyed but few opportunities of studying the habits of this 

 species, states that it eagerly feeds on the ripe fruit of the sour gum-tree. 

 He was also aware of its fine song, its value as a caged bird, and that it 

 frequently sings during the night. 



