SECOND ANNUAL MEETING 41 



for his woe-begone ajjpearaiH-e at this tinu", his new coat was far more 

 l^erfect than any of the others ac<]iiired. 'i'he second ijlinnage contains 

 a very ])erceptible aTnonnt of tlie rose color on the breast. The basal 

 two-thirds of each featlier is rose-coh>red, while the tip is tan with a 

 darker streak in the center. The result is that the rose color is partly 

 concealed, showing- distinctly when the feathers are rumpled or parted. 

 The distinction between the sexes became evident in the other plumag-e 

 as well as that of the breast. Patches of black and white appeared 

 on the wing- and back of the male, while the lower half of the breast 

 and belly were whitish. The female remained brown, with the entire 

 breast thickly streaked with darker. Both sexes retained the stripes 

 on the head. 



The character of the feathers varies in the different species I have 

 had under close observation. The feathers of the Grosbeak and Wood 

 Thrush are peculiarly brittle, and the wing and tail feathers ai*e easily 

 broken. The plumage of the Grosbeak lacks the soft and smooth ap- 

 pearance that some of the others iiossess. The Orioles and Bluebirds 

 are much trimmer in appearance, and the feathers of the wings and 

 tail seem strong-er and tougher and are seldom broken. 



The beaks of the grosbeaks in infancy were also very brittle, and 

 on several occasions the tips of the upper mandibles were broken off, 

 and bled considerably. Afterwards new tips grew on, though a notch 

 Avhich appeared some months later in one of the beaks still remains. 

 None of the other birds raised in captivity ever Avere troubled in this 

 way, although all had beaks much more slender and apparently more 

 delicate than those of the grosbeaks. 



As occupants of the bird room the grosbeaks possess many interest- 

 ing characteristics. They are extremely sociable, being almost invari- 

 ably seen together. When one feeds, the other feeds; when one bathes, 

 the other bathes; they generally sleep on the same branch at night, and 

 folloAV each other about the room in the daytime, although they pay 

 little attention to the other birds. They are not very airy upon the 

 wing, and are decidedly awkward on their feet. When they hof) from one 

 end of the window sill to the other it sounds as if they were shod with 

 wooden shoes. They are extremely suspicious of anything new, and 

 will eye it closely, turning the head from side to side, with the bodj^ 

 poised ready to retreat precipitately at a moment's notice. They oc- 

 casionally venture to take food from my hands, but always snatch it 

 and fly as though they had done it at the risk of their lives. They show 

 no signs of wildness when I am in the room, so long as I do not 

 attempt to touch them. When caught in the hand they do not seem 

 alarmed as do some of the bii ds, but simply watch their chance to 

 seize a finger with their strong beaks. I wish it were possible to give 

 each of you a demonstration of the power of their beaks. They seem 

 to know just how to select the most sensitive places upon the hand, and 

 their method of holding on and chewing is truly scientific. But strange 



