42 2 General Notes. X^ 



in rav quest for information upon the subject. When a friend, some years 

 ago, told me he had closely watched a female Black-headed Grosbeak 

 (Zamelodia melanocephala) on the nest singing as heartily as the male, I 

 was quite skeptical, but am now inclined to believe him, except that he may 

 have exaggerated the qualitvof the song. Last year I asked a number of 

 western ornithologists if they had noticed the nesting song of the female 

 House Finch {Carpodacus metoieanus frontalis) and was answered in the 

 negative, yet it has a distinct, well defined song in Boulder, Colorado, at 

 least, and it is not likely to differ in this respect elsewhere. I have 

 watched several pairs about my home and vicinity, and in every instance 

 have found the same song. It is an exact repetition of the first part of 

 the male's usual song, from two to six notes, cut short at the end and 

 repeated over and over in great excitement, the performance continuing 

 thus for some moments at a time, often for a quarter or half hour. In 

 each instance this has been a daily occurrence from the time the last egg 

 was laid until after the young birds left the shell, generally while the bird 

 was on the nest, though sometimes while in the vines or on the housetop, 

 the male often joining in with the full song, making a remarkable duet. 

 The tones can scarcely be distinguished from those of the male after a 

 few days of practice. The excitement of the bird during these concerts is 

 something that must be seen to be appreciated, increasing from day to 

 dav until the hatching of the eggs causes so much work that vocal efforts 

 are neglected. 



Denis Gale. — The name of Denis Gale will bring to the mind of 

 many ornithologists, particularly those who have worked in the moun- 

 tains of Colorado, the picture of an elderly gentleman whose energy in 

 bird studv knew no bounds, who was willing to brave wind and heat and 

 cold and storm in his tramps from valley groves to snow-clad mountain 

 crests in the interests of ornithology, whose collections have helped enrich 

 the splendid collections of the Smithsonian Institution, and whose notes 

 were of great assistance to Capt. Bendire and others, for Mr. Gale, while 

 always willing to furnish information to others, was not much given to 

 publishing his observations himself. Failing health stopped his work 

 several years ago, and a few months ago he passed to his eternal rest in 

 Denver. It will no doubt interest ornithologists to know that through 

 the generosity of Mr. Simon Guggenheim, all of Mr. Gale's collections 

 not heretofore sent to the Smithsonian Institution are now deposited in 

 the museum of the University of Colorado, at Boulder, including his 

 valuable notes on migration, food and nesting habits, covering a period 

 of more than ten years in the mountains. The notes are now being tran- 

 scribed, annotated and indexed by the undersigned, so as to make them 

 available for the use of bird students visiting the University. It occurs 

 to me that a note of this in ' The Auk ' would be appreciated by those who 

 are familiar with Mr. Gale's work. — Junius Henderson, University of 

 Colorado, Boulder. Col. 



