60 BIRDS OF FIELD, FOREST AND PARK 



Blue Grosbeak which ranges over the Southern 

 States, rarely venturing north of Virginia. This 

 is also a good singer. The Evening Grosbeak is 

 an inhabitant of the northern central portion of 

 Canada. Yellow and black are the prevailing 

 colors in their plumage. As singers they do not 

 rank high. Sometimes they make very unex- 

 pected excursions to the Atlantic States in mid- 

 winter or early spring, but only at rare intervals. 

 One would be much favored by fortune were he 

 to meet a flock of these very rare visitors. 



Indigo Bunting. This little Finch is one of 

 the birds that to know is to love, for it is both 

 beautiful in dress and elegant in manner. As so 

 often happens, the species derives its name from 

 the color of the male, and is just what you 

 would suggest because of the rich blue of his 

 coat. Except for the black wings which are 

 margined with blue, his suit is deep blue, lus- 

 trous and luminous when seen in the sunshine. 

 But you would never recognize his little mate, so 

 wholly different is her dress, a grayish-brown, 

 sparrow-like suit with just a faint tinge of his 

 dominant color. 



Like Sparrows, Indigo Buntings feed largely 

 on the seeds of plants and grains. When they 

 arrive in early May they are in song and con- 

 tinue to sing throughout the summer, even dur- 

 ing the heat of noon when most birds are silent. 

 The song is a happy, tinkling little warble which 

 lessens toward the end as though the singer 

 were wearied by the effort. It seems devoid of 

 sentiment and does not strike one as being 

 particularly melodious. 



