GROSBEAKS 



365 



at Fryeburg, (Nash). Penobscot; an adult male taken at Orono, February 

 28, 1890, (Fernald, 0. & 0. 15, p. 46) ; one seen by me which was shot in 

 Brewer in the winter of 1889-'90, (Crosby); one taken at Bangor, March 18, 

 1890, while a companion to it had escaped, (Shepherd, Oologist, May, 1890, 

 p. 86). 



This is distinctly a species of the north and middle west, 

 and moreover even in its home rather sporadic and uncertain, 

 somtimes found in abundance, at other times not seen, even 

 in favorable situations. In the months of December, 1889, 

 and more particularly in January, February and March, 1890, 

 these birds visited the Northern Atlantic States in a regular 

 sporadic irruption, being reported from New York and practi- 

 cally all of the New England States. They were shot in 

 various localities where they appeared in small flocks of ten 

 to fifteen or in twos or threes. 



They feed on various buds such as maple, elm, elder, apple, 

 and other tree buds, the berries of mountain ash, crabapples 

 and similar fruits, and various seeds of trees and weeds. In 

 fact they are fully as variable in diet as the Pine Grosbeak 

 and eat about the same manner of material. They are said to 

 be fully as tame and unsophisticated as the Pine Grosbeak. 



Chapman says relative to their notes:— "Their notes are 

 described by different observers as a shrill "cheepy-teet" and 

 a froglike "peep," while one writer remarks that the males 

 have a single metallic cry like the note of a trumpet, and the 

 females a loud chattering like the Cherry Birds. Their song 

 is given as a wandering, jerky warble, beginning low, suddenly 

 increasing in power, and as suddenly ceasing, as though the 

 singer were out of breath." (Chapman, B. E. N. A. p. 280.) 



I am not aware that eggs of the Evening Grosbeak have 

 been found, but eggs of the subspecies, Western Evening 

 Grosbeak, have been recorded and do not differ in all prob- 

 ability from its eastern form, the birds being almost indistin- 

 guishable except to an expert. The nest of the western bird is 

 said to consist of twigs and fine bark, lined with fine rootlets 

 and hair and to be placed in trees at various heights, usually 



