154 BIRDS THROUGH AN OPERA-GLASS. 
a foil to him as her cousins, the plain little pur- 
ple finch and indigo-bird are to their handsome 
husbands. She looked decidedly like a sparrow, 
and had patches of saffron-yellow under her 
wings, where the male had carmine. Both had 
heavy finch bills. His was yellow, and he scraped 
it on the side of a branch as a man would sharpen 
a knife on a whetstone — first on one side and 
then on the other. Perhaps we should say, men 
sharpen their knives as birds do their bills, for it 
is more likely that the birds set the fashion ! 
The song of the grosbeak is loud. clear, and 
sweet, with a rhythm like the tanager’s. It is 
a longer song, however, with the rough edges 
rounded off, and has, moreover, something of the 
oriole quality. The call note is as characteristic 
as the chip chirr of the tanager. It is a thin, 
unsteady kick, and usually prefaces the song. 
The nest of the grosbeak in “ Paradise ” was 
in the border of a thicket, almost within our 
reach, and when we discovered it, Mr. Grosbeak’s 
big black head and yellow bill were protruding 
over the edge. We could not help laughing at 
this domestic turn, he looked so out of place; 
but we liked him all the better for minding the 
babies while his wife took a rest. 
se 
