The Rose-breasted Grosbeak 



By B. S. BOWDISH, Demarest. N. J. 



With photographs from nature hy the author 



WHILE a few writers have tended to exaggerate the beauties of 

 color and sweetness of song, and the value of food habits of this 

 bird, more have slighted it. In the matter of brilliant color few of 

 the tropical birds surpass the Rose-breast, while to the writer, at least, his 

 song has a charm that is rivaled only by the melody of a very few of our 

 feathered vocalists. While, I believe, no systematic study of his food habits 

 has been made by the Department of Agriculture, yet the casual observa- 

 tions of bird students have shown that the Grosbeak has a peculiarly valu- 

 able habit, namely, the including of the potato beetle in his bill of fare, — a 

 taste apparently shared by few if any other birds. 



On one point the Grosbeak's chroniclers have many of them been re- 

 miss. I refer to the share that the male takes in the labor of incubation. 

 In some instances writers ignore this entirely, while I have seen the extreme 

 statement that the male performed this entire work. Neither view is in 

 accord with my experience. In most cases I have observed the female on 

 the nest, while the male proved to be the more fearless and devoted in 

 attending to the household duties in the presence of supposed danger. 



NEST AND EGGS OF ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK 



(iio) 



