mid'dle breast and under wing-coverts the rich rose that deepens into a carmine. 

 The beak is white. 



Tlie mother bird is streaked with blackish and olive brown above, below 

 white tinged with dusk}-, under wing-coverts the tint of saffron. Her beak 

 is brown. 



These beautiful birds may be seen in the haunts of autumn berries, early 

 spring buds that are yet incased in winter wrappings, and orchards in the remote 

 tops of whose trees have been left stray apples. By the time these are frost-bitten 

 they are "ready cooked" for the belated rose-breasts, whose strong beaks seem 

 made on purpose to bite into frozen apples. But frozen apples have a charm of 

 taste for any one who takes the trouble of climbing to the outer limbs for a 

 tempting recluse. Better were more of them left in the late harvest for boys 

 and girls and the rose-breasted grosbeaks. 



An invisible thread fastened to a solitary apple on a high twig, and con- 

 nected inside of the attic window of a cottage, suggests winter fun of a harmless 

 sort. The grosbeaks fish for the apple, which all of a sudden is given a jerk 

 from a watchful urchin inside the window ; and the bird realizes the historical 

 "slip 'twi.xt the cup and the lip." The string being, to start with, almost invisible, 

 is from necessity very weak as well, and breaks at about the third jerk. The 

 fun for the participants inside the window at the other end of the string is over 

 for a time, and before it is readjusted the apple has several bites in it. .-\nd 

 besides, there are other apples. 



On the Pacific coast we have the black-headed grosbeak, cousin of the 

 others and equally gifted in song. 



The sides of the head, back, wings and tail of this male are black, though the 

 back and wings are dotted with white and cinnamon-brown. The neck and under 

 parts are rich orange-brown, changing to bright, pure yellow on the belly and 

 under wing-coverts. The bill and feet are dark grayish blue. The female and 

 her young differ in the under parts, being a rich sulphur-yellow. Upper parts 

 are olive shaded, varied with whitish or brownish stripes. The habits of the 

 black-headed grosbeak are like those of the others described. 



From our custom of making the grounds as attractive to all wikl birds 

 as possible, never relenting our vigilance in regard to the feline race, we have 

 had splendid opportunities of studying this bird. They have nested with us 

 for three years, beginning in wary fashion and ending in perfect confidence. 



The first of the season we saw only the male, and he kept high in the blue- 

 gum trees, fifty or sixty feet or more above ground, singing as soon as everybody 

 was out of sight, but disappearing if a door opened. We thought him a belated 

 robin, so do the songs of the two birds impress a stranger. For weeks we could 

 catch not so much as a glimpse of the singer, though we hid in the shrubbery. 

 Shrubbery was no barrier to the sight of the keen little eye and ear above. Then 

 we took to the attic, and from a little roof comer-pane beheld the musician. 



But his song was short and ended vmfinished, so suspicious was the bird. 

 Gradually he came to understand that no shotgun disturbed the garden stillness, 

 even though he sat on an outer bough, and no cat lurked in the roses. He also 



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