FIIIXdILMD.E — TIIK FINTIIKS. 70 



of tlie lowest luaiu'li of ti lari^e sycamore iinmediately over a Ljivat thoiouLih- 

 faiv, and so mar tlie Lifound that a })eis(»ii staiidiuL!; in a cart or sitting on a 

 horse could have readied it witli liis hand. Tlie nest was composed mainly 

 of fraunieiits of news])a|K'r and stalks of i^rass, ami though so low, wjis ro- 

 niaikahly well concealed hy one of the i)eculiar clusters of twi|_;s and leaves 

 wliicli characterize tliis tree. The nest contained young when he discovered 

 il, and though tlie parent hirds were mucli annoyed by liis loitering ahout 

 beneath tlie tree, they paid but little attention to the stream of vehicles that 

 was constantly passing. It was a source of wonder to him when the birds 

 could have built it, as they are so much .shyer when building than at other 

 times. Tht'y niust have worked mostly in the early morning, when they 

 could have the jdace all to themselves. The same observer also noticed 

 another juiir of IMue (Jrosbeaks that had built their nest in a graveyard 

 within the city limits. This was placed in a low bush, and the male con- 

 tinued to sing at intervals till the young were ready to Hy. The song of this 

 bird he describes as a rai)id, intricate warble, like that of the Jndigo Uird, 

 though .stronger and h)uder. Indeed, these two birds so much resemble 

 each other in color, form, voice, manner, and general habits, that, were it not 

 for the ditference in size, — the Grosbeak being nearly as large again as the 

 Indigo r>ird, — he thinks it would be a hard matter to tell them a]>art. The 

 females of both birds are clad in the same redilish-brown suits, as are also 

 the young during the first sea.son. 



The ne.st of this species has also been found built in a tree within the 

 Lirounds of the Smithsonian Institution, AVashingion. 



The only time I ever met with this species was at Carlisle, Penn., in June, 

 1S4*>. The previous month Professor liaird had found its ne.st in a low tree, 

 in open ground, and we found the.se l>irds still frcipienting the same grounds, 

 where we found another nest containing three egg.s. It was in a low thorn- 

 tree on the edge of a wood, but standing out in open ground. The nest was 

 about five feet from the ground. 



The Smithsonian specimens are i'rom Carlisle, Penn., obtained in April, 

 ]May, and August ; from Georgia, Texas, Xew Mexico, Xebraska, ^lexico, etc. 

 Air. Lawrence enumerates this amoiig the birds found near Xew York City. 

 ^Ir. Dresser found it common near Matamoras in duly and August. It was 

 breeding there, though, owing to the lateness of the season, he was unable to 

 iirocure anv of its egjis. l)r. Coues speaks of it as generally distributed in 

 Arizona, but nowhere very common. A single specimen was taken near 

 Fort Wliij)ple, August 10. Turnbull regarded it as a rare straggler to the 

 southern counties of Pennsylvania and Xew Jersey, arri\ing there in the 

 niidtUe of May. Dr. Woodhouse. found it connuon in the Indian Territory 

 and Texas. Lieutenant Couch mentiinis seeing this bird first near Monterey, 

 the male always ]>receding the female. He speaks of them as exceedingly 

 tame. IMr. J. II. Clark states that this bird was not often seen, and, when 

 ol)served, was generally s<>litary, preferring the dark ravines and the canons 



