THIRD ANNUAL MKETIN(J 41) 



vicinity of Beatrice, where my observations were made, it is a fairly 

 common summer resident, while here at Lincoln, only forty miles north, 

 it was never observed until the past spring when a pair was seen by 

 R. H. Wolcott, and this although the locality had been thoroughly 

 worked by several active ornithologists. These records seem to indicate 

 that its distribution in this state is very local. Possibly another reason 

 for its apparent scarcity in some localities is its inconspicuous plumage, 

 which though bright enough in the hand, appears blackish at a short 

 distance in the field, unless observed under exceptionally good condi- 

 tions. Because of this the bird is apt to be overlooked or confused 

 with commoner birds. Having once become familiar with its ways, 

 however, it is easily distinguished and frequently in evidence. At least 

 this has been my experience with it. 



I first met with the bird near Beatrice, September 16, 1890. The 

 day was rainj^ and I was returning late in the afternoon from a day's 

 collecting trip when I noticed a flock of birds which appeared quite 

 new to me, feeding- in some sumac bushes. I shot one and it proved 

 to be a female blue grosbeak. The flock contained a dozen or so birds, 

 and every one must have been a female or young male, for I recollect 

 looldng- carefully for a bird different from the one I had shot, and 

 failing to flnd one. The birds were tame and did not take flight at raj 

 shot. Later observations have shown that it is the habit of this bird 

 to gather in such flocks shortly before the autumnal migration, and 

 curiously enough, the females always greatly predominate in number. 

 Where the males are at this time I have been unable to determine. 



I did not meet the bird again until August 8, 1900. On this date I 

 secured an adult male, having- been attracted to it by its song, and on 

 the next daj^ a pair was seen at the same place, but none shot because 

 from the actions of the birds I suspected that they had young near. 

 A few days later another pair with fully fledged young was found in 

 a large clump of sumac bushes along a railroad track, and within a half 

 mile of the first pair. T caught one of the young to see what the parents 

 woiild do. 



Their behavior at this time was very interesting. The male remained 

 quite shy and did not venture within gun range, but flew excitedly 

 from tree to tree and uttered incessantly the call note, a sharp and 

 rather metallic "chink." The female was very tame, almost bold, and 

 allowed me to approach within a few^ feet of her, she too uttering 

 the call note excitedly and occasionally flying by, quite near my head. 

 On releasing the young bird the male subsided into quiet, but the 

 female continued the scolding- as long as I remained near. 



Last j-ear (1901) the grosbeaks arrived about the first Aveek in May, 

 and resorted to the same places in which i had found them the 

 preceding year. The preferred spots seemed to center along- a small 

 creek with tall cottonwoods and thin underbrush opening out to a 

 broad weed and sumac covered pasture. Here two pairs spent the 



