Rose- Breasted Grosbeak. 193 



forty in the two hours designated, exclusive of its pro- 

 ductions at other times through the day. Its progress 

 along a row of trees can be followed by its music, and it 

 aptly chooses a time when other songsters are ' nearly 

 silent, as the early matins of the robin, song sparrow, 

 brown thrasher, and other musicians are then discon- 

 tinued while they are attending to the wants of their 

 families. Both sexes have a note resembling the syllable 

 "chick," uttered in a tone suggesting the creak of a key 

 in a rusty lock. The male commonly introduces his song 

 with this note uttered in a lower tone, and on changing 

 his position he usually uses this call when he takes a new 

 perch. In fact, it is the regular call of the species, and it 

 is used by the female at all times, and by the young birds 

 w^hen they begin to forage for themselves. 



The favorite nesting places of the rose-breasted grosbeak 

 are thorny trees and bushes, orchards, dwarf forest trees, 

 and tall shrubs. Dr. Hoy, of Eacine, Wisconsin, reports 

 Its nesting in thorn-trees, from six to ten feet from the 

 ground, in the central portion of the top. In our locality 

 the nest is placed on the horizontal branches of elms and 

 in crotches of oblique limbs of garden fruit trees, as well 

 as in elms and willows overhanging the streamsides. It 

 is a slight structure, resembling the w^ork of the mourn- 

 ing dove or the cuckoos, formed of dried twigs, with 

 which is mingled a scant supply of dried grass and weed 

 fibers. Davie says: "The eggs are three to five in number, 

 the^ latter being uncommon. They are greenish-blue or 

 bluish-green, more or less spotted over the entire surface 

 with blotches of reddish-brown; the eggs resemble very 

 closely those of the Summer Eedbird or Scarlet Tanager; 

 sizes range from .95 to 1.08 inches in length by .70 to .76 

 in breadth." 



Dr.^ Coues states that the eggs are laid in June. Many 

 individuals probably nest earlier ; however, some Illinois 

 observers report that the rose-breasted grosbeaks have nests 

 with full complements in the last week of May. I have 

 frequently seen birds lately from the nest, before the first 

 of June. It is probable that two broods are reared in some 

 instances. 



In 1893, while rambling in quest of bird-lore, I saw 



