BIRDS OF KANSAS. 413 



of under wing coverts yellow. Feathers along the extreme base of the bill, the 

 crown, tibia, wings, upper tail coverts and tail black; inner greater wii^ 

 coverts and tertiaries white. The female differs in having the head of a dull 

 olivaceous brown, which color also glosses the back. The yellow of the rump 

 and other parts is replaced by a yellowish ash. The upper tail coverts are 

 spotted with white. The white of the wing is much restricted. There Is an 

 obscure blackish line on each side of the chin." 



Tarsus. Bill. 

 .78 .75 



.78 .70 



Iris brown; bill pale yellowish green, with an occasional rosy 

 hue; legs light brown to dull flesh color; feet a shade darker; 

 claws dark brown. 



This handsome species of the wooded lands and openings can 

 hardly be classed with the regular migratory birds, as they are 

 found wintering in their northern homes, and, by Mr. Swinburn, 

 breeding in Arizona; but rather a hardy, roving bird, and where 

 known to be a resident, irregular in their habits, here in large 

 numbers to-day, and to-morrow perhaps in another locality, to 

 which food or the spirit moves them. Gregarious, social, un- 

 suspicious, noisy birds, that make their presence known by their 

 loud call note, uttered almost continually. The males have a 

 short, and not very pleasing, warbling song. Their food con- 

 sists chiefly of the pine, cedar, etc., berries, buds and tender 

 leaves. As familiar and noticeable as these birds are, the fol- 

 lowing from "Nests and Eggs of North American Birds," by 

 Davie, is the only knowledge we have of their nesting habits: 



June 5th, 1884, Mr. John Swinburn found a nest of the 

 Evening Grosbeak in a thickly wooded canon, about fifteen 

 miles west of Springerville, Apache county, Arizona. The nest 

 was placed about fifteen feet from the ground, in the top of a 

 small willow bush, on the border of a stream. It was a com- 

 paratively slight structure, rather flat, and composed of small 

 sticks and roots, lined with finer portions of the latter. This 

 nest contained three fresh eggs, of a clear greenish ground 

 color, blotched with pale brown. 



May 10th, 1886, Mr. E. H. Fiske — reported by Mr. Walter 

 E. Bryant — found a nest in Yolo county, California. It was 



