342 NOTES ON THE 



Throughout the breeding season constantly and until the fall 

 migration, occasionally the notes of the Rosebreasted Grosbeak 

 may be heard by the accustomed ear from the edges of the woods 

 or in the cool, shadowy thickets bordering the swamps. More 

 than once during the warm month of July, when quietly picking 

 my way through the dense forests and moist, cool shades, I have 

 been halted by the solitary song of this bird — soft, sweet, dis- 

 tant, pathetic — and at the last moment before resuming my 

 way, discover him not twenty feet away in the very act. He 

 saw me, and seemed to know he charmed me and therefore had 

 a sweet faith that I would not harm him — and I did not. 



They do not build their careless and rather slovenly nests 

 until after the 25th of May and often considerably into June. 

 It is composed of considerably different materials in different 

 localities, but is losely formed of bits of vines, small sticks, 

 roots, straws, leaves, etc., outwardly, and inwardly of finer, 

 though similar materials, more closely and compactly disposed. 

 It is placed in a tree about five feet from the ground. The 

 number of eggs varies from three to five, but will scarcely 

 average four, so far as I have yet observed. They are pale 

 green and speckled with dull reddish-brown. 



Although it is said that the male shares the duties of sitting 

 upon the eggs, I have never yet found one so occupied. 



These birds devour immense numbers of insects, notwith- 

 standing they are seed eaters. They retire from the State 

 about the middle of September. 



Mr. Washburn found them exceedingly common in the Red 

 river valley in the woodlands and at Dead Lake. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 



Head and neck all round, and upper parts generally, glossy 

 black; a broad crescent across the upper part of the breast 

 extending narrowly down to the belly, axillaries and under 

 wing coverts, carmine; rest of under parts, rump and upper 

 tail coverts, middle wing coverts, spots on the tertiaries and 

 inner great wing coverts, basal half of primaries and secon- 

 daries and large patch on the ends of the inner webs of the 

 outer three tail feathers, pure white. 



Length, 8.50; wing, 4.15. 



Habitat, eastern United States and southern Canada west to 

 eastern border of Plains. 



