40 NEBRASKA ORNITHOLOGISTS' UNION 



After a few days of the restlessness of whieh I have spoken, the 

 grosbeaks developed a new trail. In the nnrsery department of the 

 bird room there were at the same time young- of the Wood Thrush, 

 Bluebird and Grosbeak. Their various methods of receiving- me when 

 I went into the room formed an interesting- contrast. All would be 

 clamorously hungrj^ The wood thrushes would greet the opening- of 

 the door by coming- with upraised wings as fast as their feet could 

 bring- them to meet me, all the while uttering a pretty musical trill, 

 and as soon as they could fly, they would alight upon my shoulders or 

 hands. The bluebirds would remain where they hapjjened to be, but 

 would set up a vociferous appeal, accomiianied by a most wonderful 

 whirling motion of the wings. Exit the grosbeaks, equally hungry, at 

 the first click of the latch straightened themselves into an erect posi- 

 tion and remained perfectly rigid until they were toviched, and then, 

 like a flash they lost their rigiditj^ and commenced begging as insist- 

 ently as the others. I frequently tried the expermiment of feeding the 

 other birds and paying no attention to them, to see if they would yield 

 to the temptation, but their instincts were stronger than their ap- 

 petites. I have observed this same method of concealment in young 

 grosbeaks in the woods. 



Another instinct, of which this was a forerunner, was their natural 

 wildness. As soon as they learned to fly they began to grow wald, and 

 long before they could feed and care for themselves they grew afraid 

 and had to be caught and held a few^ minutes before they would take 

 the food from my hands. 



When just thirty days old the male w^as first heard to warble, and a 

 few days later the female began to sing. Their efforts were by no 

 means the full song of the mature bird. They sang with swelling 

 throats and quivering bodies, but with beaks nearly closed, only oc- 

 casionally opening theiu and letting- out a louder, stronger note. 



The plumage changes of the Grosbeak have formed an interesting- 

 study. My observations have been made upon three males and one 

 female. From these observations I learn that the sexes can be dis- 

 tinguished by their plumage upon the first appearance of pin-feathers. 

 This will be before the bird is a week old. In the male the feathers 

 along the inner edge of the wing are pink, while those of the female 

 are buff. The color can be plainly seen through the transparent sheaths 

 of the feathers even before they burst. The wing linings are an ex- 

 quisite rose color with the first plumage. In each of the three males 

 one or two iiink feathers appeared upon the breast with the first plu- 

 mage. When about six weeks old they began to molt. One of them 

 molted after a fashion ])eculiar]y his own. He lost almost every 

 feather upon his body, although his beautifnl wings remained intact. 

 He was a singnlar looking- object, and excited the curiosity of the 

 other birds to such an extent that it became necessary to isolate him 

 until his jilumage was in a measnre restored. But as if to compensate 



