Rose-Breasted Grosbeak. 195 



of an adjacent plum tree he hopped and swung, anxiously 

 chirping his pleadings for the little ones, who were evi- 

 dently taking their first outing,and really should have been 

 back in their nest for a few days longer. The loud songs 

 of the grosbeak which I had previously heard in the neigh- 

 borhood had intimated to me that a pair of grosbeaks had 

 certainly established a home in the vicinity, and these 

 immaturely fledged youngsters were proof positive of the 

 fact. Late in the fall, when the withered leaves dropped 

 from the plum-tree and left its outlines bare, there was 

 exposed a nest made solely of dried twigs placed in a 

 convenient crotch, about twelve feet from the sidewalk. 

 I had passed beneath it several times every day during 

 its construction and subsequent occupancy, but had been 

 neglectful of this golden opportunity to study a bit of bird 

 life almost at my open door. 



Attractive as this bird is, both in its colors and in its 

 Bong, it has escaped the notice of many w- ho know some- 

 thing of our common birds. This is perhaps due to the 

 fact that it Is nowhere abundant, and furthermore that its 

 notes to the untrained listener resemble the utterances 

 of the oriole, and hence the latter receives credit for much 

 of the grosbeak's music. However, the notes of the gros- 

 beak are more numerous and its song is more modulated 

 than the oriole's. The oriole usually swings among the 

 outer twigs of long branches, while the grosbeak is inclined 

 to sit among the branches nearer their middle points. 

 Moreover, there is no similarity between these two gifted 

 species in color, except the black, the orange red of the 

 oriole being umistakable, while the white under parts and 

 carmine breast of the grosbeak serve readily to identify 

 it. If the grosbeak is under close observation, its thick 

 bill is a further guide toward identification, for it is inti- 

 mately related to the cardinal, and has the strong, thick- 

 ened bill which is characteristic of the finch family. The 

 body of the grosbeak is larger than that of the oriole, 

 being plump and well-rounded, while the oriole is slimmer 

 and less robust. 



The rose-breasted grosbeak has other qualities to recom- 

 mend it besides its rich plumage and beautiful song. In 

 many parts of the Mississippi Valley it is known as the 



