BIRDS OF NEW YORK 329 



fruits such as those of the elm, wild cherry, honeysuckle, viburnum and 

 dogwood while they are about half grown. It also partakes of the ripe 

 fruit later in the season; but during the nesting period does immense good 

 by destroying the larger beetles such as the potato beetle, June beetle, 

 grape vine beetle, and other injurious species. This is one of the birds 

 which has been noted in various sections of the country as preferring the 

 potato beetle to other species. Not only on account of its beautiful 

 plumage and melodious song, but also on account of this unusual propensity, 

 it ought to be encouraged in all parts of the State. 



Guiraca caerulea caerulea (Linnaeus) 

 Blue Grosbeak 



Plate 86 



Loxia caerulea Linnaeus. Syst. Nat. Ed. 10. 1758. 1:175 

 Coccoborus ceruleus DeKay. Zool. N. Y. 1844. pt 2, p. 145, fig. 146 

 Guiraca caerulea caerulea A. O. U. Check List. Ed. 3. 1910. p. 285. 

 No. 597 



guiraca, barbarous Latin, meaning unknown; caerulea, Lat., blue 



Description. Adult male: Deep blue, the lores and chin black; 

 back partly blackish ; wings and tail black edged with blue ; the wing coverts 

 tipped with rufous. Female: Grayish brown showing somewhat bluish 

 about the head, rump and wing coverts; wings and tail fuscous; wing 

 coverts tipped with ocherous; under parts brownish buff, feathers some- 

 times showing bluish under plumage. Young resemble the female. 



Length 6.5-7.5 inches; wing 3.4-3.6; tail 2.7-2.9; culmen .63-66; 

 depth of bill .52-58. 



The Blue grosbeak bears a considerable resemblance, when seen among 

 the foliage, to the Indigo bunting and might easily be mistaken for it when 

 imperfectly seen or in unusual conditions of the atmosphere. It is, how- 

 ever, decidedly larger, being the size of a Cowbird, nearly 2 inches longer 

 than the Indigo bird. As it has been reported so many times by amateur 

 bird people in New York, I make these suggestions to restrain the possible 

 error. Very few New York specimens have ever been seen, and it seems 

 almost impossible that the numbers reported by different observers could 

 be actual occurrences. 



