488 HISTORY OF THE 



Guiraca cserulea (Lixn.)- 



BLUE GROSBEAK. 

 PLATE XXIX. 



Summer resident; quite common in the western and middle 

 parts of the State; rare in the eastern portion. Arrive the first 

 of May; begin laying about the first of June; leave in Septem- 

 ber. 



B. 382. E. 246. C. 291. G. 124, 24.5. U, .597. 



Habitat. Southern half of eastern United States; north oc- 

 casionally to New England and southern Nebraska; west to 

 eastern Colorado and western Texas; south in winter to Cuba 

 and southeastern Mexico; breeding throughout their United 

 States range. 



Sp. Char. "Brilliant blue; darker across the middle of the back. Space 

 around the base of the bill and lores, with tail feathers, black. Two bands on 

 the wing across the tips of the middle and secondary coverts, with outer edges 

 of tertiaries, reddish brown or perhaps chestnut. Feathers on posterior portion 

 of the under surface tipped narrowly with grayish white. Female yellowish 

 brown above, brownish yellow beneath; darkest across the breast. Wing cov- 

 erts and tertials broadly edged with brownish yellow. Sometimes a faint trace 

 of blue on the tail. The young resemble the female. Autumnal and winter 

 males have the feathers generally, especially on the back and breast, tipped 

 with liglit brown, obscuring somewhat the blue, though producing a beautiful 

 appearance." 



stretch of 

 Length. ivhig. IVing. Tail. Tarsus. Bill. 



Male 7.25 11.1.5 3..50 2.90 .78 .63 



Female... 6.75 10..50 3.35 2.70 .75 .62 



Iris brown; bill — -upper dusky, under liglit blue; legs, feet 

 and claws dark brown. 



These birds prefer, for their homes, the banks of streams, 

 where thinly shirted with trees and bushes, and the grassy up- 

 lands in the vicinity of thickets. They are only common in cer- 

 tain localities and not abundant anywhere. They feed chiefly 

 upon the various kinds of seeds, crushing with their thick bills 

 the larger grains. Buds and berries are also occasionally 

 plucked, but in this respect they are not so destructive as their 

 ■cousins, the Rose-breasted. Insect life is also much sought 

 after, especially while rearing their young, beetles being a favor- 

 ite food. As a rule the birds are rather silent, uttering now and 

 then their ordinary call note, a ringing "Chip" or "Chink." 



