368 • SINGING BIRDS. 



the borders of Athabasca Lake ; to the east of these limits 

 these birds appear to be only transient visitors in spring and 

 fall. They are common inhabitants of the fur countries, and 

 particularly of the maple woods of the Saskatchewan, where 

 they do not arrive from the South before the commencement 

 of the month of June. In the pine woods of Oregon (accord- 

 ing to Mr. Townsend) numerous flocks are seen about the mid- 

 dle of May, and at this time they are very tame and unsuspicious, 

 moving about in considerable numbers throughout the whole 

 of the day, and seem no way given to retiring before sunset. 

 Their ordinary note while feeding consists of a single rather 

 screaming call. At other times, particularly about mid-day, the 

 male from the branches of some tall pine-tree utters a single 

 warbling note much like the interrupted beginning of the 

 Robin's song, but not so sweet. They feed upon the seeds 

 of the pine and other trees, alighting upon the large limbs, 

 and proceed by a series of hops to the very extremities of 

 the branches. They also occasionally devour the larvae of ants, 

 and probably other kinds of insects. 



The Evening Grosbeak occurs regularly in winter in Wisconsin, 

 Illinois, Iowa, and Michigan, and occasionally in Ohio and Ontario. 

 During the latter part of the winter of 18S9-90 numbers were 

 seen eastward to Montreal and the New England States. 



Its nesting habits are almost unknown. 



