254 



LAND BIRDS 



his best efforts. Then from high in an oak or pine 

 he will whistle a rhapsody, so tender, so pure, so full 

 of joy that it seems a floodtide of 

 love let loose in music. But alas for 

 sentiment ! No sooner is one round fin- 

 ished tlian the singer turns his atten- 

 tion to feeding on the 

 young buds nearest to him, 

 sometimes even interrupt- 

 ing his song to seize an 

 especially tempting morsel. 

 And so it is through- 

 out tlie long bright 

 day, — he stops eat- 

 > break into singing, and pauses 

 finest carol to finish a meal, flit- 

 tree to tree and daintily feasting 

 tender terminal buds. No doubt 

 this may be a disadvantage to the tree, but 

 when we see him industriously clearing a 

 potato field of the pest known as " potato 

 j^i^W bug," and singing gayly as he works, we 



P^'^ forgive him all the harm he has done to 

 our pet fruit tree. It is impossible to 

 \% w^atch him for one hour without becoming 

 Y his loyal defender. Although a rather 

 clumsy looking bird, his attitudes are always 



596. Black-headed pleasing. He leans forward to reach 

 Grosbeak. . 



a sprig beneath him much as a cross- 



" His little brown throat ^ ° 



swelling with music.^^ \y^\\ fggjg qj, ^ ^oue, or he stauds erect 



