like the piirgling of sweet \vater>. Next after the I'.acliinan I would accord him 

 the highest j)!ace in song among all sparrows. 



The accompanying illustration tells the story of nest aiid eggs perhaj)S better 

 than words. It is worth while to note that the i)icture was taken at .McConnels- 

 ville. in Morgan County, which must he (juite near the limit of the bird's present 

 range. Dr. W'heaton first recorded the Lark Sparrow as an Ohio bird in 1861. 

 Since that time it has steadily increased in numbers, although it is nowhere a 

 common bird. 



Our Rose-Breasted Grosbeak 



By Edward B. Clark 



Here is a bird that tleserves words as line as its feathers. Our Rose-Breasted 

 Gro.sbeak is a beauty, is a singer, is good tempered — and it eats potato bugs. 



We have a good many Grosbeaks — the gorgeous cardinal, the handsome if 

 somewhat stupid evening Grosbeak, the blue Grosbeak, and some others. I Jut for 

 standard qualities give us the Rose-Breast. It nests in the suburbs of Chicago 

 and is fairly abundant in some seasons, and yet a good many people never seem 

 to have seen it or to have heard about it. It is worth knowing, worth hearing and 

 worth looking upon. 



The Rose-Breasted Grosbeak dresses in black and white. It always wears, 

 however, a blush rose in the top buttonhole of its vest, or, if you will, waistcoat, in 

 order to accentuate the simplicity of its attire. The red of the rose shades off into 

 the yellow of the jonquil to the right and left, and when the Grosbeak opens its 

 wings to fly you get the whole of the bright color scheme at once. 



Some time along back near the centennial year the Colorado beetle, otherwise, 

 if less elegantly, known as the potato bug. began to make its way east from the 

 Rockies, visiting and devastating the potato fields of the farmers on the way. 

 Paris green became fashionable just about that time in farming circles. The 

 ]X)ison was mixed with water and poured over the potato vines, the object being, of 

 course, to kill the bug which was devouring the j^otato plants. 



One morning a farmer w^alkcd into his field and found four dead Rose- 

 Breasted Grosbeaks. The birds had been dining off potato bugs which were sat- 

 urated with paris green. A good many Grosbeaks sacrificed their lives before it 

 conclusively was proved that this Beau Brummel of birds would eat a viciously 

 bitter beetle which all other birds shunned. 



The Rose-Breasted Grosbeak has saved much money for the potato growers 

 in the United States. It deserves well of the people. Its song is something like 

 that of the Robin, but the Robin is a dowdy in dress as compared with the Gros- 

 beak. The Rose-Breast is a good bird and friendly. It is worth while to scrape 

 acquaintance with it at its homecoming in the springtime. Just now it is preparing 

 to leave for the Southland. Xext April it will come back, and we hope that with 

 every coming year there will be more human friends to welcome it. 



77 T> 



