NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 331 



595. Habia ludoviciana (LINN.) [244.] 



Rose -breasted Grosbeak. 



Hab. Eastern United States, north to Southern Canada; south in winter through Cuba, Central and 

 into Northern South America. 



The rose-bud of our North American Oscines everywhere 

 noted for its beauty and musical ability. Breeds from the Northern 

 States northward, but it is nowhere an abundant bird. Trees and 

 shrubbery along the banks of streams or the borders of dense woods 

 are its favorite resorts. A bird with a plump, round form, the male 

 with head and neck black, bill whitish, wings and tail white and black, 

 the breast and under wing-coverts rosy or carmine red. The parts 

 which in the male are black, are streaked with blackish and olive-brown 

 in the female, and the under wing-coverts saffron-yellow, and though 

 not so striking in contrast, makes a bird of handsome appearance. 

 The nest is placed in the thick foliage of trees at the edge of woods 

 or on the banks of streams. It is a flat, shallow structure, composed 

 of small twigs, vegetable fibres and grass. Breeds in May and June. 



The eggs are three to five in number, the latter being uncommon. 

 They are greenish-blue or bluish-green, more or less spotted over the 

 entire surface with blotches of reddish-brown ; the eggs resemble very 

 closely those of the Summer Redbird or Scarlet Tanager ; sizes range 

 from .95 to i. 08 in length by .70 to .76 in breadth. 



596. Habia melanocephala (SWAINS.) [245.] 



Black-Headed Grosbeak. 



Hab. Western United States, east to the Great Plains, south into Mexico. 



This bird occurs from the high Central Plains to the Pacific, and 

 from the northern portions of Washington Territory to the table lands of 

 Mexico. Breeds throughout its United States range. CoL Goss gives it 

 as a quite common summer resident in Middle and Western Kansas ; 

 begins laying the last of May. Quite common in California ; begins 

 nesting about the first of April nesting abundantly in the willow and 

 water-mootic copse near Santa Clara River and among the live-oaks 

 along the small streams and creeks. The nests are placed from five to 

 twenty feet from the ground, and composed of a few slender twigs, 

 weeds, grasses and rootlets. 



Two to four eggs are laid. Sets of this bird's eggs are in my 

 cabinet collected at San Gorgonia Pass, California, by Mr. Herron, in 

 May and June. These are of two and three eggs each. They were 

 taken from nests in oak bushes five to ten feet from the ground. They 

 are bluish-green sprinkled and blotched with reddish and rusty-brown ; 

 some heavily spotted while others are sparingly marked, the spots in 

 all cases become more numerous towards the larger ends. Bight eggs 



