THE GROSBEAK. S0<) 



Description. 



THE GROSBEAK. 



THIS shy and solitary bird is near seven 

 inches in length ; its bill is of a horn colour, co- 

 nical, and prodigiously thick at the base ; its eyes 

 are ash-coloured ; the space between the bill and 

 the eye, and thence to the chin and the throatj 

 is black ; the top of the head is of a reddish ches- 

 hut, as are also the cheeks, but somewhat paler ; 

 the back part of the neck is of a greyish ash- 

 colour ; the back and lesser wing-coverts, ches- 

 nut ; the greater wing-coverts are grey, in some 

 almost white, forming a band across the wing; 

 the quills are all black, except some of the secon- 

 daries nearest the body, which are brown; the 

 four outer quills seem as if cut off at the ends ; 

 the prime quills have each of them a spot of 

 white about the middle of the inner web ; the 

 breast and belly are of a pale rust colour, growing 

 almost white at the vent; the tail is black, ex* 

 cept the ends of the middle feathers, which are 

 grey; the outer ones are tipped with white; the 

 legs are pale brown. The female greatly resem- 

 bles the male, but her colours-, like other female 

 birds, are less vivid, and the space between the 

 }^e and the bill is grey, instead of black. These 

 birds vary considerably, as scarcely two can be 

 found alike. In some the head is wholly black; 



