74 CoUEs's History of the Evening Groshcah. 



above cited, that he had heard of its presence near Hamilton, 

 Canada "West, and that a few years previously several had been 

 shot by Mr. T. I. Cottle at Woodstock, where they were " quite 

 numerous for a day or two during the month of May." 



Eespecting the Evening Grosbeak's presence in the States of Wis- 

 consin and Illinois, Dr. Brewer presents the following paragraph in 

 the " History of North American Birds " (p. 452) : " On February 

 14, 1871, Mr. Kumlein, while out in the woods with his son, saw a 

 small flock of these birds in Dane County, Wisconsin. There were 

 six of them, but, having no gun, he did not procure any. Later in 

 the season he again met with and secured specimens. In the fol- 

 lowing March Dr. Hoy of Racine also obtained several near that 

 city. He also informs me that during the winter of 1870- 71 there 

 were large flocks of these birds near Freeport, 111. One person pro- 

 cured twenty-four specimens. One season we noticed them as late 

 as May. They frequent the maple woods, and feed on the seeds 

 fallen on the ground. They also eat the buds of the wild cherry. 

 Their visits are made at irregular intervals. In some years not a 

 single individual can be seen, while in others they make their ap- 

 pearance in December and continue through the whole winter." 



The Evening Grosbeak has also long been known to occur in 

 Ohio. The original announcement of the fact was made by the late 

 Professor J. P. Kirtland, in the " Ohio Farmer " of March 24, 1860. 

 " Those of your readers," says the Professor to the editor, " who 

 are interested in the natural sciences will no doubt be gratified to 

 learn that so rare a bird as the Evening Grosbeak has made its ap- 

 pearance in these parts. Early last week a beautiful female was 

 secured by Charles Pease, Jr., and on the next day I saw several 

 others of this species. It is known among ornithologists as the 

 Hesperiphona vespertina, and has never before, I believe, been dis- 

 covered east of Lake Michigan." But this last statement seems to 

 be not strictly accurate ; for Dr. J. M. Wheaton, in transcribing this 

 paragraph into his excellent " Catalogue of the Birds of Ohio," adds 

 that Mr. William Kent informed him that he obtained a specimen 

 in the vicinity of Columbus, Ohio, in 1847. 



But we have the evidence that the Evening Grosbeak occasionally 

 strays still further eastwai'd. It has occurred in New York State, 

 and is liable to be found even in New England. Its pi'esence near 

 New York City is attested by Mr. George N. Lawrence, who, how- 

 ever, gives no particulars of the case. Dr. Brewer asserts that the 



