PINE GROSBEAK. 585 



usual allowance. The third morning I allowed him to 

 flutter about me some time before showing any symptom of 

 being awake ; he no sooner observed that his object was 

 effected than he retired to the window, and waited patient- 

 ly until I arose. As the spring approached, he used to 

 whistle occasionally in the morning, and his notes were ex- 

 ceedingly rich and full. About the time, however, when 

 the species began to remove to the North, his former 

 familiarity entirely disappeared." Mr. Audubon further 

 says, " While in the State of Maine, I observed that these 

 birds when travelling fly in silence, and at a considerable 

 height above the trees. They alight on the topmost 

 branches, so that it is difficult to obtain them, unless one 

 has a remarkably good gun. But, on waiting a few 

 minutes, you see the flock, usually composed of seven or 

 eight individuals, descend from branch to branch, and 

 betake themselves to the ground, where they pick up 

 gravel, hop towards the nearest pool or streamlet, and 

 bathe by dipping their heads, and scattering the water 

 over them, until they are quite wet; after which they 

 fly to the branches of low bushes, shake themselves with so 

 much vigour as to produce a smart rustling sound, and 

 arrange their plumage. They then search for food among 

 the boughs of the taller trees." 



In the male bird from which the figure was drawn, the 

 beak is dark brown, the lower mandible tinged with dark 

 red; the base of the upper mandible and the eyes sur- 

 rounded with a narrow band of dusky black : the irides 

 hazel ; the whole of the head, cheeks, ear-coverts, and the 

 neck behind, vermilion red ; the feathers of the back and 

 scapulars greyish black, margined with red ; those of the 

 rump and the upper tail-coverts with broader margins of 

 red, producing as they overlay each other a continuous 



