THE BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK. 169 
yet his shyness is not inspired by caution, for he will sing upon the nest 
when he spells his wife at the hopeful task of incubation. 
The more matter-of-fact female has no word of greeting for the 
stranger beyond a sharp kimp, a beak-clearing note, not unlike that of a 
chicken with a crumb in its throat. This the male repeats also, with all 
shades of emphasis when the home is beset, or, as a last resort, he breaks 
an ample price, surely, for the fullest immunity. 
into song at close quarters, 
It is the nest 
which confirms the 
southern origin of 
these gentle birds. 
It is a flimsy affair 
of twigs,  grass- 
stems, or  weed- 
stalks carelessly 1in- 
terlaced, and caught 
in the crotch of a 
sapling at a height 
of from five to 
miteem feet. The 
construction is so 
open, that the blue 
eggs with their dark 
brown and lavender 
spottings may be 
counted from below. 
The birds, you see, 
have been  accus- 
tomed to a warmer 
climate, to a tropical 
range, in fact, where 
warmth of bedding 
is no object. Taken in Oregon. Photo by Finley and Bohiman. 
If found upon the REALIZATION. 
nest, the brooding 
bird cannot think ill of you; or, if there is ground for misgiving, seeks to 
disarm hostility by a display of gentle confidence. Instances are of record 
where the sitting bird has been stroked with the hand, and a little discretion 
will usually insure a lasting friendship. 
This species enjoys a wide range in Washington, being found from 
tide-water to the upper reaches of the deeper mountain valleys; but it is 
nowhere common enough, let alone abundant. 
