THE EVENING GROSBEAK. 



" ^) ANDSOMER birds there 

 may be, but in the opinion 

 of many this visitant to 

 / various portions of west- 

 ern North America is 

 in shape, color, and markings one of the 

 most exquisite of the feather- wearers. 

 It has for its habitation the region 

 extending from the plains to the Pa- 

 cific ocean and from Mexico into British 

 America. Toward the North it ranges 

 further to the east ; so that, while it 

 appears to be not uncommon about 

 Lake Superior, it has been reported as 

 occuring in Ohio, New York, and Can- 

 ada. In Illinois it was observed at 

 Freeport during the winter of 1870 

 and 1871, and at Waukegan during 

 January, 1873. It is a common resi- 

 dent of the forests of the State of 

 Washington, and also of Oregon. In the 

 latter region Dr. Merrill observed the 

 birds carrying building material to a 

 huge fir tree, but was unable to locate 

 the nest, and the tree was practically 

 inaccessable. Mr. Walter E. Bryant 

 was the first to record an authentic 

 nest and eggs of the Evening Gros- 

 beak. In a paper read before the Cal- 

 ifornia Academy of Sciences he de- 

 scribes a nest of this species containing 

 four eggs, found in Yolo county, Cal- 

 ifornia. The nest was built in a small 

 live oak, at a height of ten feet, and 

 was composed of small twigs support- 

 ing a thin -layer of fibrous bark and a 

 lining of horse hair. The eggs are of 

 a clear greenish-ground color, blotched 

 with pale brown. According to Mr. 

 Davie, one of the leading authorities 

 on North American birds, little if any 

 more information has been obtained 

 regarding the nests and eggs of the 

 Evening Grosbeak. 



As to its habits, Mr. O. P. Day says, 

 that about the year 1872, while hunt- 

 ing during fine autumn weather in the 

 woods about Eureka, Illinois, he fell 

 in with a number of these Grosbeaks. 



They were feeding in the tree tops no 

 the seeds of the sugar maple, just then 

 ripening, and were excessively fat. 

 They were very unsuspicious, and for 

 a long time suffered him to observe 

 them. They also ate the buds of 

 the cottonwood tree in company with 

 the Rose-Breasted Grosbeak. 



The song of the Grosbeak is singu- 

 larly like that of the Robin, and to 

 one not thoroughly familiar with the 

 notes of the latter a difference would 

 not at first be detected. There is a very 

 decided difference, however, and by 

 repeatedly listening to both species in 

 full voice it will be discovered more 

 and more clearly. The sweet and 

 gentle strains of music harmonize de- 

 lightfully, and the concert they make 

 is well worth the careful attention of 

 the discriminating student. The value 

 of such study will be admitted by all 

 who know how little is known of the 

 songsters. A gentleman recently said 

 to us that one day in November 

 the greater part of the football field 

 at the south end of Lincoln Park 

 was covered with Snow Birds. There 

 were also on the field more than 

 one hundred grammar and high school 

 boys waiting the arrival of the foot- 

 ball team. There was only one 

 person present who paid any atten- 

 tion to the birds which were picking 

 up the food, twittering, hopping, and 

 flying about, and occasionally indulg- 

 ing in fights, and all utterly oblivious 

 of the fact that there were scores of 

 shouting school boys around and 

 about them. The gentleman called 

 the attention of one after another of 

 ten of the high school boys to the snow 

 birds and asked what they were. They 

 one and all declared they were Eng- 

 lish Sparrows, and seemed astounded 

 that any one could be so ignorant as 

 not to know what an English Sparrow 

 was. So much for the city-bred boy's 

 observation of birds. 



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