4 



MY EXPERIENCE OF THE ROSE-BREASTED 

 GROSBEAK. 



The Rose-breasted Grosbeak {Hedymeles huiovicianus) 

 is an inhabitant of North America, wliere he is mnch 

 prized as a cage-bird, both on acconnt of his pink, wliite 

 and black plumage and of his song. Unfortunately 

 they are but rarely imported into this countr_v, but if, as 

 seems probable, they become more common among our 

 dealers, they will- soon take the first place in the list of 

 our Foreign cage birds. Till two years ago I had never 

 seen one alive in this country, though they seem to 

 have been fairly well known on the Continent, where 

 the Cult of the foreign bird is a much bigger thing than 

 it is with us, and where the pick of the market seems to 

 go. However, lately these and many other uncommon 

 foreigners have made their appearance in small numbers, 

 and we will hope that the demand will be sufficient to 

 justify their further importation, and also their reduction 

 in price. 



In the summer of 1899 I bought my first Rose- 

 breast, a cock out of a lot of about 12 just arrived. I think 

 he cost me 30'- and as he did not live till the autumn, this 

 cannot be considered to have been a good speculation : 

 but this lot was the first I had ever seen and I was 

 tempted b}- their rarity and what I knew of them from 

 their admirers in America. I had bad luck in picking 

 out a bird already out of health, which soon sickened and 

 died before he had got over the effedls of his long ocean 

 journey. 



With my next I have been more snccessful ; he was 

 bought for 20- in June last, and now a better and more 

 healthy bird I have never seen. He was bare on his 

 head, very wild, and dirty, at first, as all these birds are 

 when newly imported, and no wonder; a dozen fresh- 

 caught specimens of such powerful birds, cribbed up for 

 three or four weeks in a wooden store-cage, naturally 

 have every opportunity of knocking themselves about. 



