THE OSPREY. 



135 



NOTES ON THE BLUE GROSBEAK, GUIRACA COERULEA. 

 By John W. Daniel, Jk., Lynchburg, Va. 



In Virginia, the Blue Grosbeak is a species 

 widely distributed, occurring coastwise and in 

 the mountainous portions as well as through- 

 out the Piedmont region, although it does not 

 appear to be a very abundant bird in any por- 

 tion of the state. Dr. W. C. Rives has found it 

 to be a fairly abundant summer resident in 

 Eastern Virginia, and has found its nest and 

 eggs in Albemarle County. 



I have observed it during the summer, in 

 Fauquier, Alleghany, Rockbridge and Campbell 

 Counties, which are widely separated and like- 

 wise different as regards temperature. In Camp- 

 bell County, the birds arrive from the south late 

 in April, but nest building does not commence 

 earlier than the first week of June. During the 

 interim, the birds are usually to be found in 

 pairs in the neighborhood of the intended breed- 

 ing locality. The species shows a marked dis- 



but whether they serve such a purpose is a 

 matter of much doubt. Shrivelled and shape- 

 less as a skin invariably is, it bears but slight 

 resemblance to a snake, and it would require a 

 very discerning Chipmunk or Blue Jay to make 

 head or tail out of it; yet nearly every nest con- 

 tains it as though it rendered important service. 



During the first week in May, 1901, I met with 

 several Blue Grosbeaks near Lynchburg, Va., 

 where the bird is a fairly abundant summer 

 resident. 



On May 5th, I shot a male Grosbeak, and as I 

 only slightly wounded it in the wing I took it 

 home. After a couple of weeks of nursing and 

 feeding the bird was released, but not before I 

 had attempted to photograph it. After several 

 failures, I secured the picture which accom- 

 panies this article. The bird was placed upon a 

 well-leafed branch of a shrub and focused upon. 



THE BLUE GROSBEAK. 



position to return to the same locality, in suc- 

 cessive years, to nest. Peach orchards are 

 favorite nesting haunts, the nest as a rule being 

 placed among the upright sprigs of a young 

 tree. Old fields with scattering growth of s^- 

 safras (Sassafras officinale) are frequently select- 

 ed, as the latter shrub seems to be in high favor 

 with the species, and the greater per cent of the 

 nrsts I have observed have been placed in it. 



During the breeding period, it is usual to find 

 the birds in isolated pairs; they do not appear 

 to be sociable birds. As in the case of the 

 Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus), cast- 

 off snake skins enter as a queer feature of the 

 nest composition. They are probably used with 

 the instinctive purpose of frightening intruders, 



When the proper focus had been secured, I found 

 the bird had closed its eyes and gone to sleep. 

 When I attempted to arouse him, he at once left 

 the branch for the ground and skurried away 

 amongst the high grass. After a lively chase 

 I got him once more, and posed him. Just pre- 

 vious to pressing the bulb, I attempted an imita- 

 tion of the call note the species utters. The bird 

 became animated and the bulb was pressed in 

 time to catch the animated expression as shown 

 in the picture. Later the bird was released. 



During the early part of September, Blue 

 Grosbeaks frequent the ravines grown up with 

 bushes, and feed upon various kinds of weed 

 seeds. They depart for the south about the last 

 week of September. 



