188 WOOD NOTES WILD. 



Rose-breasted Grosbeak. {See p. 76.) 



" It is a very fine songster, and is hardly excelled by any of our other 

 species, — its notes being uttered, not only through the day, but also 

 during the night, as I have heard on several occasions. The song is 

 difficult of description ; it is a sweet warble, with various emphatic 

 passages, and sometimes a plaintive strain, exceedingly tender and 

 affecting." — Samuels, E. A. : Our Northern and Eastern Birds, p. 330. 



" He is not always silent during the day, when feeding, but it is at 

 evening in May or June that he sings most loudly and sweetly. Then, 

 perching near the top of some low tree, he pours out an extremely 

 mellow warble, like that of the Robin, but very much finer. Sometimes 

 in the love-season he sings at night, and with an ardor which adds to 

 the beauty of his song." — Minot, H. D : Land-birds and Game-birds of 

 N. E , p. 234. 



" It thrives very well in a cage, is a most melodious and indefatigable 

 warbler, frequently in fine weather, as in its state of freedom, passing a 

 great part of the night in singing, with all the varied and touching tones 

 of the nightingale. While thus earnestly engaged, it seems to mount 

 on tiptoe in an ecstasy of enthusiasm and delight at the unrivalled 

 harmony of its own voice. The notes are wholly warbled, now loud, 

 clear, and vaulting with a querulous air, then perhaps sprightly, and 

 finally lower, tender, and pathetic. In short, I am not acquainted with 

 any of our birds superior in song to the present, with the solitary excep- 

 tion of our Orphean Mocking-bird." — Nuttall, T. : Manual of Ornithology, 

 p. 623. 



See also Lunt, H. : Across Lots, p. 109. 



Mr. Burroughs thinks that this performer has " fine talents, but not 

 genius" (in his Wake-robin, pp. 67-68). 



The Author's Power of Memory. (See p. 76). 



The author's tenacious memory of both sound and sight 

 is illustrated by the following notation of an old melody 

 and by an extract from a letter dated January, 1888. 



"Learned this at sixteen as John Foss whistled it in 

 smooth full tones when we were making horseshoes, 

 evenings. This was while the irons were heating. 



