201 



were loud, rich and sweet. I listened to them with a thrill of delight 

 and wonder, and then pressed loi'ward to identify the new vocalist. 

 Soon I discovered perched upon the top of a tall hemlock, a beautiful 

 red Pine Grosbeak — the author of one of the most delicious songs 

 that I have ever heard. Its carmine or rose-colored plumage, and its 

 mellow notes, were a feast alike to the eye and ear; and, though I may 

 never hear the Pine Grosbeak sing again, I shall ever cherish towards 

 it feelings of admiration and gratitude for the revelation of beauty 

 and melody which I so keenly appreciated on that occasion. We can- 

 not but wish that this Grosbeak was a more frequent sojourner with 

 us; for its bright hues would add life and color to our sombre winter 

 scenery, and its tine song would aftbrd us much enjoyment. 



Except the Ked Crossbill {Loxia cnrvirostra, var. americana), there 

 are no birds so gentle as the present species. They appear to be 

 utterly devoid of fear of man. If their ranks are thinned by the gun- 

 ner, the survivors will rarely be driven away, but come close up to 

 the hunter and hop from branch to branch in his vicinity, scrutinizing 

 him closely and uttering a reproachful note like that of the Fox 

 Sparrow {Passerrella ilinca) ; they often fly down to inspect the dead 

 bodies of their comrades lying upon the ground. Their flight is 

 floating and graceful. They eat seeds of coniferous trees, and of 

 various weeds that grow in pastures or by the wayside. They search 

 in orchards for decayed apples, and eagerly extract the seeds; but 

 the seeds of maple, and berries of red cedar, are their staple articles 

 of food. They also eat other kinds of berries and buds. Wherever 

 there is a supply of good water they congregate ; for they are extrava- 

 gantly fond of bathing. 



Wilson had a Grosbeak that was procured in the Highlands, upon 

 which he made the following interesting observations:'^ "I have 

 kept one of these Pine Grosbeaks, a male, for mure than half a year. 

 In the month of August those parts of the plumage which were red 

 became of a greenish yellow, and continue so still. In May and June 

 its song, though not so loud as some birds of its size, was extremely 

 clear, mellow and sweet. It would wai*ble out this for a whole morn- 

 ing together, and acquired several of the notes of a Ked-bird {L. 

 carclinalis), that hung near it. It is exceedingly tame and familiar, 

 and when it wants food or water utters a continual melancholy and 

 anxious note. It was caught in winter near the North river, thirty or 

 forty miles above New York." 



Since AVilson's time, the Pine Grosbeak has been found in the 

 Hudson Valley by various writers — among them Giraud, DeKay and 

 Lawrence. The former author wrote:'-' "In the autumn of 1827, 



12 American Ornithology, V^ol. I, p. 82, ItOS. 



13 Birds of Long Iblantl, p. 120, 1844. 



