FRIXGILLID^ — THE FINCHES. 73 



small gTO\'es on the banks of streams. Their nests are coarsely built, with 

 a base composed of waste stubble, fragments of leaves, and stems of plants. 

 These are intermingled with and strengthened by twigs and coarser slonis. 

 Tliey have a diameter of eight inclies, and a huiglit of three and a lialf. 

 The upper portion of the nest is usually composed of dry usnca mosses, 

 mingled with a few twigs, and lined with liner twigs. Its cavity is three 

 inches in diameter and one in deptli, being quite shallow for so large a nest. 



Tlie eggs bear some resemlilance to those of the /"///•«»//«', but are usually 

 much larger, though they vary greatly in size. Tlieir ground-color is usually 

 a light but well-marked shade of verdigris-green, varpng occasionally to a 

 greenish-white, and are marked, more or less, over their entire surface, with 

 blotches of reddish-brown. They vary in length from 1.05 to .90 of an inch, 

 and from .78 to .60. 



During incubation, and in the presence of its mate, this Grosbeak is a 

 persistent and enthusiastic singer, and, at times, carries liis love of song so 

 far as to betray liis nest. This is more especially so when he relieves Ids 

 mate, takes her place on tlie nest, and tlien, apparently oblivious of the dan- 

 ger of lifting up his voice in song when upon so resjjonsiljle a duty, attracts, 

 by his melody, the oologist to his treasures. 



Dr. Hoy, of Eacine, supplies some interesting information in regard to the 

 habits and nesting of this species. On the 15th of June, within six miles 

 of that city, lie fouiid seven nests, all within a space of not over five acres, 

 and he was assured that each year they resort to the same locality and nest 

 thus socially. Six of these nests were in thorn-trees, all were within six to 

 ten feet from the ground, and all were in the central portion of the top. 

 Three of the four parent birds sitting on the nests were males, and this he 

 was told was usually the case. When a nest was disturbed, all the neighbor- 

 ing Grosbeaks gathered around and appeared equally interested. Tioth nest 

 and eggs .so closely resemble those of the Tanagers that it is ditficult to dis- 

 tinguish them. Their position is, however, usually different, the Grosbeaks 

 generally nesting in tlie central portion of a small tree, the Tanagers' being 

 placed on a liorizontal limb. 



Hedymeles melanocephalus, Sw.mnson. 



BLACK-HEADED GBOSBEAE. 



Guiraca melanocrplmln, S\v. Syn. ilex. Birds Philos. Mag. I, 1827, 43S. — Box. List, 1838. 

 — Ib. Consp. 1850, 502. — Baied, Birds N. Am. 1858, 498. — Cooper & Sdcklev, 206. 

 Coccolhrmistcs mdanoerphala. Rich. List, Pr. Brit. Ass. for 1836, 1837. Fringilla 

 melanocej>hala, ACD. Oni. Biog. IV, 1838, 519, pi. ccclxxiii. Coccohorus melanocephalus, 

 Aun. Synopsis, 1839, 133. — Ib. Birds Am. Ill, 1841, 214, pi. 206. — Heerm. X, S, 

 51 (nest). — Cooper, Om. Cal. I, 228. Gonmphea melanocepluila, Sclater ? ffedy- 

 meks melanocephaln, Cabanis, Mus. Hein. 1851, 153. Frviffilla iwttlwmascludis, 

 Wagler, Isis, 1831, 525. Pit'jhis (juUatus, Lesson, Rev. Zobl. II, 1839, 102. 

 .' Guiraca Irkolor, Lesson, Rev. Zobl. II, 1839, 102. 



OL. II. 10 



