On the Trail of the Evening Grosbeak 



435 



of our camera finally got on their nerves. At any rate, about this time they 

 began to bill and clinch in quite a ferocious manner. At times they bounded 

 up, clinching in mid-air and beating one another with their wings; but usually a 

 more sedate grappling and tugging was sufficient to determine precedence. To 

 all appearances, however, none of the birds were ever the worse for these brawls, 

 and, away from the feeding-station they bore no malice toward each other. 



The Sparrows likewise suffered from their irritability. Once, while we were 

 watching them, one became too officious, and a Grosbeak with quiet precision 

 reached over and pinched him viciously in the middle of the back. We thought 



DODGING A VICIOUS THRUST 



it would be the last of the Sparrow; but evidently the powerful bill did not 

 close with murderous intent, for after giving vent to his feelings in a few 

 indignant chirps, the Sparrow hopped back to his place beside the Grosbeak. 

 After that, it was usually sufficient for any of the Grosbeaks merely to point 

 its bill in the direction of the offender, to make him quite desirous of being 

 elsewhere. 



Their fighting, however, was the least of our concerns. Beginning about 

 the last of March, they seemed to delight in sunning themselves on the leafless 

 branches, now and then venting their feelings in silent yawns and stretching 

 their wings and tails. At first we laid this entirely to their lazy natures; but 

 as the season advanced their stretching became more noticeable, and they 

 sought out the shady side of the larger branches or kept entirely to the ever- 



