Notes from Field and Study 



183 



the hedge as they dropped the bud-shells 

 on the ground beneath. 



The coloring of the male was very vivid, 

 noticeable against the snow and the dark 

 branches. The black-and-white markings 

 against the green body made him easy to 

 distinguish. 



The female was gray and white with no 

 signs of olive-green. They outnumbered 

 the males considerably. 



I should be interested to know if they 

 were seen in any other New England 

 towns. — Marion H. Bayley, Newhury- 

 port, Mass. 



Evening Grosbeak in New York City 

 and Utica, N. Y 



I should like to report the appearance of 

 a female Evening Grosbeak in the New 

 York Zoological Park, on February 15, 

 1916. The bird, which was quite alone, 

 was feeding on cedar berries and the green 

 tips of the twigs. As usual, she was fear- 

 less and easily approached. I am not 

 aware of a previous record of the species in 

 New York City, aside from Staten Island. 



Mr. George W. Weston, of Utica, N. Y., 

 informs me that on March 21, 1916, he 

 observed six Evening Grosbeaks feeding 

 on the ground near one of the main streets 

 and within the city limits. — Lee S. 

 Crandall. 



The Evening Grosbeak in Greater 

 New York City 



Though there are a number of records 

 of the occurrence of the Evening Grosbeak 

 in New York State, chiefly in the central, 

 western, and northwestern parts, there 

 seems to be but one possibility that it has 

 ever before been observed in New York 

 City. In a catalogue of birds observed in 

 New York, Long Island, Staten Island, and 

 adjacent parts of New Jersey, George N. 

 Lawrence, in the Ann. Lye. Nat. Hist., 

 1866, pp. 279-300, lists it merely as rare 

 and gives no specific locality. A more 

 recent observation is that made at Plain- 

 field, N. J., in 1914, by Waldron DeWitt 

 Miller, (Bird-Lore, April, 191 1 ; Vol. XIII, 



p. 95). It is highl}' gratifying then to 

 report the first definite record for New 

 York City which was made at 3.30 p.m. 

 on Sunday, January 9, 1916, by the writer 

 and Theo. L. Herman. 



About a half mile southwest of Castle- 

 ton Corners, Staten Island, is a section of 

 country partially cleared by a real estate 

 company, but still supporting a growth of 

 scrub white oak, green briers, birches, and 

 the usual characteristics of land left to 

 survive abuse. The leaves of the scrub 

 oaks are crisped and curled into bunches 

 at the top, and the rattling of these leaves 

 first drew attention to the presence of the 

 birds, which proved to be a fine male and 

 female Evening Grosbeak. It was easy 

 to get within eight or ten feet of the 

 birds at any time, so unsuspecting were 

 they, and it would have been reasonably 

 possible to knock one down with a stick. 

 The only calls, rather short whistling notes, 

 were given by the male, and he was 

 especially conservative in this respect. 



On the following morning the birds 

 were again observed in the same vicinity 

 and in practically the same place, but did 

 nothing of peculiar interest. Rain kept 

 the birds from their normal routine and 

 made things disagreeable in every way for 

 further observation. On the three follow- 

 ing days the birds could not be found and 

 doubtless left the locality, though a 

 nearby pine grove offered an excellent 

 roost. At this time it was supposed that 

 the Grosbeaks might have gone to the 

 Moravian Cemetery at New Dorp, three 

 miles away, where an extensive pine grove 

 offered suitable cover; but frequent trips 

 revealed nothing there. Not until March 

 12, did the unexpected happen. Mr. 

 Howard H. Cleaves, Mr. Theo. L. Her- 

 man, and the writer were photographing 

 birds in the cemetery when Mr. Cleaves 

 discovered the female Evening Grosbeak 

 in an oak tree. She soon departed but 

 returned later with the male and together 

 they fed on the buds of a white maple. 

 Here they stayed but a minute when they 

 became alarmed and flew away, each giv- 

 ing a soft whistle. — Harold K. Decker, 

 Staten Island, N. Y. 



