EVENING GROSBEAK. 291 



I have heard of its being observed during the winter at St. Cloud, 

 St. Paul and Minneapolis, and last winter I had a pair sent me by 

 mail in the flesh, from Redwing, Minnesota. The first report of its 

 appearance in Ontario was made by the late Dr. T. J. Cottle, of 

 Woodstock, who in the month of May, 1866, observed a flock among 

 the evergreens near his residence, and obtained one or two of them. 



Again, in 1871, they were noticed near London about the same 

 season, and several were procured, three of them coming into my 

 possession. I did not hear of the species again till the 17th of 

 March, 1883. When enjoying a sleigh ride along a road which runs 

 through a swamp in West Flamboro', my son and I came unex- 

 pectedly upon two in the bush by the roadside and secured them both. 



I have also heard of a female having been obtained by the Rev. 

 Mr. Doel in Toronto, on the 25th of December, 1854, which com- 

 pletes the record for Ontario, so far as I know. The Evening 

 Grosbeak is much prized by collectors on account of its rarity, its 

 beauty, and the desire we have to know more of its history. 



Dr. Coues speaks of it as "a bird of distinguished appearance, 

 whose very name suggests the far-away land of the dipping sun, and 

 the tuneful romance which the wild bird throws around the fading 

 light of the day. Clothed in striking color contrasts of black, white 

 and gold, he seems to represent the allegory of diurnal transmutation, 

 for his sable pinions close around the brightness of his vesture as. 

 night encompasses the golden hues of sunset, while the clear white 

 space enfolded in these tints foretells the dawn of the morrow." Thus, 

 the glowing words flow from the pen of an accurate observer and 

 graceful writer, while to the mass of the people, the beauties of bird- 

 life are a sealed book. By far the larger number of those who have 

 the opportunity of observing our wild birds in their native haunts, 

 belong to that practical class of which the representative is Peter 

 Bell, of whom it is written : 



" A primrose by the river's brim 

 A yellow primrose was to him, 

 And it was nothing more." 



I once directed the attention of a successful farmer, whose speech 

 betrayed his nationality, to a fine mounted specimen of the bird I 

 have been describing. I pointed out the beauty of its markings and 

 related the interesting parts of its history, but failed to excite any 

 enthusiasm regarding it. In fact the only remark elicited was that 

 it was " unca thick i' the neb." 



