CouEs's History of the Evening Grosbeak. 71 



better success. The note is a single warbling call, exceedingly like 

 the early part of the Robin's song, but not so sweet, and checked as 

 though the performer were out of breath. The song, if it may be 

 so called, is to me a most wearisome one : I am constantly listening 

 to hear the stave continued, and am as constantly disappointed. 

 Another en-or of the books is this — they both state that the fe- 

 male is similar to the male in plumage. Now, this is entirely a 

 mistake : she is so very different in color and markings that were 

 it not for the size and color of the bill, and its peculiar physiog- 

 nomy, one might be induced to suppose it another species."* 



The nest and eggs of this elegant Grosbeak have not been dis- 

 covei'ed yet ; nor have we, in fact, gained much further insight 

 into the bird's mode of life than Townsend's note affords. I was 

 greatly disappointed in my expectations of making the personal 

 acquaintance of the " Sugar-Bird " in the solitudes of the Saskatche- 

 wan region ; for my search was never rewarded with a glimpse of 

 the fugitive among the lowering pines of northernmost Montana, 

 nor has it ever been my fortune to see him in the mountains of 

 Colorado, New Mexico, or Arizona, where we are informed he is to 

 be found. But, before mapping what we have learned of the geo- 

 graphical distribution of the species, I may continue with the obser- 

 vations of others who have watched the course of the bird in his 

 native haunts. 



A fresh glimpse of the Evening Grosbeak was lately given (Am. 

 Nat. XII, July, 1878, p. 471) by Mr. W. L. Tiffany, of Minneapo- 

 lis, Minn., where the interesting bird is said to have resided during 

 the winters of the past few years. The Grosbeaks were seldom 

 seen except in each other's company, the flocks sometimes number- 

 ing scores of individuals. They frequented usually the groves of the 

 sugar-maple ; and the buds of these trees, together with the seeds 

 of the box-elder, formed their principal food. They were very 

 familiar in their demeanor, appearing even less suspicious of man 

 than the confiding Bohemian Waxwings seemed to be, for they 

 established their headquarters in the town itself, among the shade- 

 trees, and were sometimes seen to ramble over house-tops and 

 porches like so many Wrens. Their notes are called by Mr. Tiffany 



* A nominal species had, in fact, already been named by the French orni- 

 thologist, E. P. Lesson, who, in 1834, described the female or young male 

 Evening Grosbeak as Coccothraustcs honapartii. (See antca, p. 66.) 



