Birds of Pennsylvania. 199 



Genus HABIA. Reichenbach. 

 595. Habia ludoviciana (Linn.). 



Rosebreasted Grosbeak. 



{Plate ?5. Adults and younj.) 



Length, about 8 inches ; extent, about 13 inches, 



H((b. — Eastern United States and southern Canada, west tu the eastern border of 

 the plains, in winter, to Cuba, Central America, and northern Soutli America. 



In eastern Pennsylvania the Rose- breasted Grosbeak, is found as a 

 regular though usually, not a common visitant during migrations in 

 May and September, when this species is mostly seen in small parties, 

 of from five to a dozen each. In the spring while passing northward 

 (they breed for the most part north of Pennsylvania), the males ar- 

 rive nearly a week in advance of the females, but in the fall both 

 sexes, according to my observation, migrate together. Mr. Benj. M. 

 Everhart, of West Chester, says that twenty-five j^ears ago this species 

 was a rather common summer resident in Chester and Delaware 

 counties, where he has repeatedly found their nests, eggs and young. 

 In both of these districts the Rose-breast's are now rarely found in the 

 summer time. Although these bright-colored and sweet- voiced song- 

 sters* have apparently abandoned their summering resorts, in our 

 eastern districts, many of their number find a congenial summer abode 

 in the north-western part of our State, parlicularly in Crawford and 

 Eric counties, where, my highly esteemed friend, Mr. Geo. B. Sennett, 

 assures me, these birds are regular and rather plentiful summer resi- 

 dents, nesting in low trees and bushes. The nest is a thin, flattened 

 structure, made up of rootlets, small twigs and dried grasses; the dull 

 greenish-white eggs, spotted with brown, are three or four in number 

 and measure about 1 inch by f of an inch. These birds while sojourn- 

 ing here frequent chiefly groves and forests, apple orchards and gardens 

 are also sometimes visited by them. It is said that in some sections 

 of Crawford county where this species resides in summer, many farm- 

 ers protect them because they are great destroyers of " Potato bugs." 

 A gentleman residing, I think, nearMeadville, stated at a recent meet- 

 ing of our State Board, that he had often seen these birds, in small 

 flocks about his potato-patch, eagerly devouring large numbers of 

 these vexatious insects. Few, if any of our birds are known to feed 

 regularly on the Colorado potato beetle, and if the Rose-breasted 

 Grosbeak has developed a taste in this direction, it should justly rank 



* Two or three years are, it is said, required before the males ncquirc their full beauty, and it 

 is also stated that the adult males in the late summer end I'all lose much of their black and be- 

 come more or less streaked with brownish tints. 



