THEOOLOGIST. 



85 



duel between a eat and a Blue Jay. The 

 Blue Jiiy was sitting on a feuee, and to 

 all appearanees, having a most enjoya- 

 ble time, when the eat appeared on the 

 seene. It evidently was hungry, for it 

 began to make preparations to eapture 

 the l)ird. 



First it began by erouehing down for 

 an instant, then it would si)ring for- 

 ward a foot or so, in a most noiseless 

 manner. It kept this up until it was 

 within a few feet of the fenee, when it 

 erouehed low, then sprang for the 

 bird; but Mr. Blue Jny did not intend to 

 Ije eailght that Avay. He saw the eat 

 just as she sprang and quiekly took 

 himself away to a barn near by, and 

 before the eat could jump from the 

 fenee, he pouneed down upon it with 

 great swiftness and gave the eat a stun- 

 ning blow upon its head with his bill. 

 The Blue Jay then Mew away in triumph. 

 I never will foi'get the look on that 

 faee. 



John Perry, 

 Kansas City, Mo. 



Habits of the Evening Grosbeak. 



This strange bird was very aptly 

 named. Its many shades of yellow 

 varying from the l^rightest to the duU- 

 (>st, the flashes of white on his wings, 

 and the sombre hue of his head and 

 wings all serve to suggest the gorgeous 

 sunset and the following twilight. 



In a recent number of the Oologist, 

 1 gave a short account of a flock I dis- 

 covered. In this flock, it will be re- 

 membered, the males and females fed 

 in separate bands. Although I have 

 taken observations on nianj^ other 

 flocks since that time, I have failed to 

 And, except in a single instance, this 

 sharp division of the sexes. 



The Evening Grosbeak may l)e found 

 in "openings" of deciduous woods, 

 maple preferred on account of the mast 

 it jjroduces. The chances are tiiat 

 tlieii- sharp senses would make thcni 



aware of your jnesence long before you 

 had a suspicion that the birds were 

 about were it not for the loud metallic 

 call of the males; this is rarely uttered 

 wliile feeding, but I)y standing still a 

 little while it may be heard. When the 

 flock discovers you they will fly into 

 the trees directly above their feeding 

 place uttering a cheeping note and, 

 after settling on tlie bran(>hes the males 

 give a perfect cliorus of alarm 

 whistles so loud and fri'quent that j'ou 

 think the floek numliers three times as 

 many as it actually does. Before long, 

 if you have restrained your desire of 

 collecting^ an old male flies towards 

 ^•ou and, aligliting near \)y, looks in- 

 quisitively into youi" face and, as if dis- 

 satistied witli the result of his oi^serva- 

 tions, he uTl<'rs a loud whistle, upon 

 which, the whole flock j(jins him. While 

 assuring themselves as to your identity, 

 they utter a faint soliloquizing note like 

 the distant chirping of a flock of English 

 Sparrows. If, during this you remain 

 perfectly still, moving not in the least, 

 the3' become reassured and again ad- 

 dress themselves to their food. One l)y 

 one they sail to the ground on out- 

 spread wings, little by little the alarm 

 notes of the males become fainter and 

 fainter, and at last cease altogether, 

 and befoi-e long quiet again reigns in 

 the Grosbeak family. Their carriage 

 and the wise manner with which they 

 scan the ground reminds you of a flock 

 of Robins, and, half closing your eyes, 

 you amuse yourself liy imagining that 

 spring is already here, when your 

 thoughts are suddenlj- rpi-alled bj' the 

 hasty alarm note of that inquisitive old 

 female Avhose bright eyes have detected 

 some slight movement on jour part 

 and who thus communicates her discov- 

 ery to the floek. Instantly, with a rush 

 of wings, they rise to the trees turning 

 their heads curiously from side to sid« 

 to And the cause of alarm. Wliile the 

 wise heads are thus engaged, the 

 3'ounger mem!)ers impiuV' their time 



