FINCHES. 239 



are insignificant little birds, occupied, during their stay here, 

 chiefly with household cares ; but the males, from their bright 

 plumage, glistening with the reflections of the varying lights, 

 and from their music, so persistently repeated, except near 

 their nests, are always conspicuous, and ever insist on making 

 their presence known. 



d. The song of the males is of varying length, sweet and 

 lively, but rather weak, forcibly reminding one of the Warblers. 

 The Indigo Birds have also a chip and a loud chuck. Wilson, 

 in speaking of this species, says : " It mounts to the highest 

 tops of a large tree and chants for half an hour at a time. Its 

 song is not one continued strain, but a repetition of short 

 notes, commencing loud and rapid, and falling by almost im- 

 perceptible gradations for six or eight seconds, till they seem 

 hardly articulate, as if the little minstrel were quite exhausted ; 

 and after a pause of half a minute or less, commences again 

 as before. Some of our birds sing only in spring, and then 

 chiefly in the morning, being comparatively mute during the 

 heat of noon ; but the Indigo Bird chants with as much anima- 

 tion under the meridian sun, in the month of July, as in the 

 month of May ; and continues his song, occasionally, to the 

 middle or end of August." 



XXI. GUIRACA. 



A, C^ERULEA. Blue Grosbeak. I know no instance of 

 this bird's capture in Massachusetts ; but it has been shot on 

 Grand Manan Island.* 



a. About 6J inches long. $ , above, dark blue, almost 

 indigo, with no reflections. Wings and tail, black ; the former 

 with a few brown markings. $> , warm brown above, lighter 

 and flaxen-tinted below. Wings with light bars. 



b. The nest is built in a tree or bush ; and the eggs are 

 light blue, averaging about .95X-70 of an inch. 



c. The Blue Grosbeaks, so far as I know, cannot be prop- 

 erly considered as birds of New England, though they have oc- 



* An exceedingly rare straggler 1880, p. 184) of a male which was 



from the South, The only record for taken in Brookline, May 29, 1880, by 



Massachusetts appears to be that by Mr. Gordon Plummer. W. B. 

 Mr. Allen (Bull. N. O. C., V, July, 



