GROSBEAK. 



279 



GROSBEAK, 



MR. B. shot a cock grosbeak which he had observed to haunt 

 his garden for more than a fortnight. I began to accuse this 

 bird of making sad havoc among the buds of the cherries, goose- 

 berries, and wall-fruit of all the neighbouring orchards. Upon 

 opening its crop or craw, no buds 

 were to be seen ; but a mass of 

 kernels of the stones of fruits. Mr. 

 B. observed that this bird frequented 

 the spot where plum-trees grow ; and 

 that he had seen it with somewhat 

 hard in its mouth, which it broke 

 with difficulty ; these were the stones Grosbeak, 



of damsons. The Latin ornithologists call this bird cocco- 

 thraustes, that is, berry-breaker, because with its large horny 

 beak it cracks and breaks the shells of stone fruits for the sake 

 of the seed or kernel. Birds of this sort are rarely seen in Eng- 

 land, and only in winter.* 



shows that it is not an habitual climber. Writers have strangely attributed the origin of the word 

 "wryneck" to a supposed habit of frequently turning round the head while feeding, giving the 

 >rted appearance. Much as I have noticed the bird, I 



mesial line at the back of the neck a 



sibling those of an 



aton figure, rather than of a creatu; 



more preposterous, and i 

 endowed with life. En. 



* This is a mistake ; the haw grosbeak is a resident species, but so extremely shy during the 

 breeding season that it a long while escaped the attention of our naturalists. I know several 

 localities where they annually breed, and know one instance of a nest occurring two following 

 seasons in the very same fork of a tree. It has but poor claims to our regard in the way of music, 

 but generally delivers its few notes from a bare branch near the top of a tree. In summer the 

 bills of both sexes become of a fine blue, and the young differ much from their parents, having a 

 deal of yellowish about the head and throat, and many small dusky spots on the under plumage. 

 A brood of them committed great depredations on my neighbour's green peas, one of which was 

 shot, and is in my collection. It is extremely difficult to get even a distant shot at this bird in 

 summer, as it flies off the moment it perceives a person approach. ED. 



