°^ J Butler on the Evening- Grosbeak. K^ 



first upon the tree. I was only enabled to capture one, — a fine 

 male, — and I could never repeat the netting. The captive was 

 put into a large cage and he soon became accustomed to the new 

 conditions. By using the captive as a stool pigeon, with the aid 

 of some hemp seed, I was enabled to induce two males to enter 

 the house. Suddenly I closed the entrance way, when they were 

 easily caught. Although I often tried, I never could get a female 

 to approach the cage. They seemed much more timid than the 

 males. The three captives were very cross to each other, the 

 bully being nearly as persistent in his attacks upon his compan- 

 ions as is the cock in the farmyard upon his rivals. Their food 

 consisted of sunflower seeds, mixed canary seeds and apple 

 seeds. When very hungry they would eat oats, but very reluc- 

 tantly. Corn, wheat, barley, the pulp of fruit, and garden vege- 

 tables, they would not touch. Diptera, hymenoptera, lepidoptera 

 and coleoptera were offered them and were refused. Angle 

 worms and spiders were likewise uneaten. When caged, their 

 note was changed from the usual chirrup to a shrill whistle or 

 shriek, and, at times, they closely mimicked a young chicken 

 when lost. They never sang, but occasionally chattered to each 

 other with much animation. They also made sounds closely ap- 

 proaching a low warble. They always slept, at night, with the 

 head under one wing. I was very anxious to know how they 

 would stand the hot weather, but 90 F., in the shade, found 

 them as unconcerned as in winter. Neither did they show any 

 restlessness in spring, when their mates were leaving. A re- 

 markable change was manifest after their first moult. The 

 olivaceous and yellowish tints, in the new feathers, were turned 

 to slaty dial) and brownish green, respectively, though the pure 

 yellow on forehead and scapulars remained as before, as also did 

 the black and white portions. Thus they were changed from 

 bright, attractive birds to very oddly and conspicuously trimmed 

 birds of plain — rather dirty — color. Nor did this color change 

 with the age of the feathers. The next summer showed the 

 same shades. In the fall of iSyi, after living in confinement 

 two years, one after another died, not from neglect, but they 

 seemed to pine away and die from the effects of captivity." 



