THE BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK. 



169 



southern origin 

 these gentle 



yet liis shyness is not inspired by caution, for lie will sing upon the nest 

 when he spells his wife at the hopeful task of incubation. 



The more matter-of-fact female has no word of greeting for the 

 stranger beyond a sharp kimp. a beak -clearing note, not unlike that of a 

 chicken with a crumb in its throat. This the male repeats also, with all 

 shades of emphasis when the home is beset, or, as a last resort, he breaks 

 into song at close quarters, — an ample price, surely, for the fullest immunity. 



It is the nest 

 which confirms the 

 of 

 birds. 

 It is a hims)- affair 

 of twigs, grass- 

 stems, or weed- 

 stalks carelessly in- 

 terlaced, and caught 

 in the crotch of a 

 sapling at a height 

 of from fi\-e to 

 fifteen feet. The 

 construction is so 

 open, that the blue 

 eggs with their dark- 

 brown and lavender 

 spottings may be 

 counted from below. 

 The birds, a'ou see, 

 have been accus- 

 tomed to a warmer 

 climate, to a tropical 

 range, in fact, where 

 warmth of bedding- 

 is no object. 



If found upon the re.alization. 



nest, the brooding 



bird cannot think ill of you: or, if there is ground for misgiving, seeks to 

 disarm hostility by a display of gentle confidence. Instances are of record 

 where the sitting bird has been stroked with the hand, and a little discretion 

 will usually insure a lasting friendship. 



This species enjoys a wide range in Washington, being found from 

 tide-water to the upper reaches of the deeper mountain valleys ; but it is 

 nowhere common enough, let alone abundant. 



Taken in Oregon. 



Photo by Finley and Bohiman. 



