FINCHES 



to Bird-Lore: " The first record of the Evening 

 Grt)sheak at Portland. Maine, was made early in 

 Februarv. when a large flock settled in a moun- 

 tain-ash on private grounds in the western part 

 of the city. Throughout the months of Febru- 

 ary and April flocks in varying numbers were 

 observed in different sections of the city. aii<l the 

 birds remained until the eleventh of May. none 

 being seen, so far as known, after that dale."' 

 The birds were seen both in low jiine trees and 

 on the ground. She added that " the males were 

 in beautiful plumage, and it was a rare treat to 

 see them, one's pleasure being greatly enhanced 

 by their fearlessness, as they would permit a close 

 approach without taking flight." Their c;dl is 

 short and cheerv. and has been called by Mrs. 

 Hailev. " wild and free." 



Down from western Canada through the moun- 

 tains all the way to Mexico is a variety called 

 the \\'estern Evening Grosbeak [ Hcs/^cripliona 

 z'cspcrtiiia iitoiitaiia). They breed in the ca- 

 nons in Arizona and are found not uiicumnKinly 

 near water throughout the southwestern moun- 

 tain country. In many of the tnwns of the 

 Pacific northwest they are fairly common winter 

 birds in the street maples and in the parks and 

 woodsides. Mrs. Bailey writes interestingly of 

 their protective coloration. " While watching 

 the birds on Mt. Shasta one day, I was struck 

 by the conspicuousness of one that flew across 

 an open space. As it lit on a dead stub whose 

 silvery branches were touched with yellow lichen, 

 to my amazement it simply vanished." 



L. Nelson Nichols. 



(Jn his winter visits, the Evening Grosbeak 

 may be found feeding on the buds or seeds of 

 trees. The maple, elder, box-elder, and ash, each 

 give their quota to him. The fruit of the sumac 

 also attracts him. But none of these is valued 

 as highlv by him as are the various frozen or 

 dried fruits on vines and trees ; of all food his 



by R. I. BrasliLT 

 EVENING GROSBEAK 



preference is for apple seeds taken from frozen 

 apjjles. A Michigan bird student reports that 

 several of these birds whicli he kept in captivity 

 for nearly two years refused to eat any kind of 

 grain except a few oats and that only when hard 

 pressed. Insects of any kind that could be se- 

 cured thev absolutelv refused to touch. 



PINE GROSBEAK 

 Pinicola enucleator leucura {Miillcr) 



:\. n. U. Number 515 See Color Plate 76 



Other Names. — .American Pine Grosbeak; Canadian 

 Pine Grnshe.'ik; Canadian Grosbeak; Pine Bullfinch. 



General Description. — Length, 9 inches. Male, pale 

 red and gray ; female, gray and yellowish. Bill, short, 

 broad, and thick; wings, long and pointed: tail, long 

 and eniarginated ; feet, small. 



Color. — ."XriuLT M.m.e: General color of head, neck, 

 and under parts (except abdomen, flanks, anal region, 

 and under tail-coverts), rather light poppy-red (in 

 sunnner) or dull pinkish red (in winter), the feathers 

 grayish beneath the surface, this exposed in places, 

 especially on chest; nasal tufts and part of lores and eye 

 region, dusky; abdomen and upper portion of sides 

 and flanks, rather light dull ash-gray or smoke-gray ; 



under tail-coverts, similar but in part darker, broadly 

 margined with white ; the space between the shoulders, 

 dusky, broadly margined with red ; shoulders, dark 

 grayish, margined with paler gray ; rump, superficially, 

 red ; upper tail-coverts, broadly margined with red : 

 wings, ciull slate-dusky, most of the feathers edged 

 with light grayish and white (the edgings broader and 

 decidedly white on the inner quills), the greater and 

 middle coverts broadly tipped with white, forming two 

 conspicuous bands, which are sometimes, especially the 

 anterior one, tinged with red ; tail, slate-dusky edged 

 with grayish (sometimes tinged with red), .^dult 

 Female: General color, plain smoke-gray, the crown 

 and rump and part of upper tail-coverts, bright yellow- 



