50 NEBRASKA ORNITHOLOGISTS' UNION 



summer, but all my efforts to locate a nest were in vain. The male 

 ■was always too shy to be observed well, and because of her plain 

 plumage the female was very elusive and could disappear in the trees 

 or brush with exasperating ease. 



Their motions are generally slow and deliberate, esj)ecially when 

 feeding, much in contrast with the liveliness of the Cardinal. But like 

 that bird they are near the ground a great deal of the time. The male 

 has a fancy for telegraph wares, and seems to enjoy keeping a certain 

 distance ahead of the observer for a time, and then coming back to 

 the place of starting by making" a wide semicircle, much as is the habit 

 of the Northern Shrike. Again he vdll sit quite still for a considerable 

 length of time, like a flycatcher. Blue grosbeaks are solitary birds, and 

 during- the breeding season I have never seen more than a pair with 

 their young together; indeed, each pair occupied opjiosite ends of the 

 wood. 



In addition to the somewhat sparrowy note already mentioned, the 

 male Blue Grosbeak has a beautiful, warbling- song something like that 

 of the Eose-breasted and fully as sweet, but much softer. It sounds 

 as though the bird was singing quietly to himself. I h,a,ve never heard 

 the female sing. When singing, the male prefers an elevated perch, 

 as a tree or telegraph wire, and fortunately at such times allows a 

 closer approach than usual. 



Their food consists of weed seeds and sumac berries, and a consider- 

 able number of insects, especially beetles, are eaten. As near as I can 

 determine they leave for the south the third week in September. 



SOME BIRDS FOUND AEOUND DUNBAR DURING THE WINTER 



MONTHS 



E. H. JONES, DUNBAR 



Born and brought up at Dunbar and with an innate fondness for 

 hunting, T naturally acquired an interest in birds, Avhich has increased 

 materially since the organization of our Union. It is only recently, 

 however, that I have kept any exact data, from which I have tried to 

 prepare a list of our wdnter birds, including herein only birds that 

 were seen after winter had actually set in. 



172. Branta canadensis (Linn.). — Canada Goose. A few flocks seen during 

 January of this year. They feed in the wheat fields during the 

 day and fiy over to the Missouri River at evening. 



289. Colinus virginianus (Linn.). — Bob-white. A common resident. 



305. Tympanuchus americanus (Reich.). — Prairie Hen. A very few flocks. 



316. Zenaidiira macroura (Linn.). — Mourning Dove. Some few winter 

 here, staying about the feed-yards. On January 22, 1902, a boy 

 shot two in an orchard near here. 



337. Buteo horealis (Gmel.). — Red-tailed Hawk. Common. 



