100 MICHIGAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 



population. I only hope that the statistics presented may seem worthy 

 of further study, and that they may thus incidentally call attention to 

 the valuable resources now available in the official vital statistics of the 

 state for better knowledge concerning- the constitution and tendencies 

 of our people. 



THE EVENING GROSBEAK IN CENTRAL MICHIGAN. 



P.y CHARLES A. DAVIS, ALMA. 



(Read before the Academy, April 2, 1S97.) 



In the early part of 1890, the writer's attention was attracted to a 

 Hock of birds of considerable size, conspicuous coloring and loud clear 

 notes which were noticed first in a small grove of beech and maple trees 

 near the College. Their notes were strange, consisting of a loud, clear, 

 short whistle, often repeated, and unlike the notes of any of our native 

 birds. It did not take long to secure specimens, for the birds were exceed- 

 ingly tame and unsuspicious, evidently being entirely unfamiliar with man 

 and' his weapons. The species was easily determined to be the Evening 

 Grosbeak, Coceothranstes vespertimts, that rather rare migrant from the 

 great northwest. The flock was a large one, consisting, when first noted, 

 of two or three hundred individuals, possibly more, for it was larger at 

 some times than at others. The birds had a habit of visiting the grove 

 where they w^ere first noted and spent a portion of every day there, usu- 

 ally the morning, feeding on the ground or perching about in the taller 

 trees. This flock remained in the neighborhood of Alma until May, but 

 the numbers gradually decreased, until but few individuals w^ere 

 left. The decrease was'partly due to the fact that many were shot, and 

 partly also to the withdrawal of small flocks from time to time. The 

 species was reported from Saginaw^ as being abundant there during this 

 season, disappearing in May as it did from the vicinity of Alma. 



The species was not again observed about Alma until March 19, 1897, 

 when a snuill flock of perhaps fifty individuals again appeared in the 

 grove which they had before frequented. At this time it was noted that 

 they spent a considerable portion of the time on the ground picking up 

 the fruits of the hard maple, of which there had been an abundant crop 

 the fall before. The birds came and went almost always in a flock, 

 calling back and forth as they flew, in their peculiar full whistle. The 

 feeding time at this spot w^as almost invariably during the forenoon. 



Addendum: 



This flock did not decrease so rapidly as the former one, and finally left 

 on Mav 8. 1897. 



On April 6, 1899, two or three straggling specimens of this species 

 were seen in the same locality where they appeared before, but were 

 not seen nor heard of again. 



