486 HISTORY OF THE 



Their ordinary call or alarm note is a sharp "Chink." The 

 males are fine songsters, next in rank to the Thrushes and 

 Wrens; a varied song, from a low warble to a loud, emphatic 

 strain as clear and musical as a bell. In the early breeding sea- 

 son, when bubbling over with love and joy, they occasionally 

 sing at night. The birds are easily tamed or reared from the 

 nest, and make interesting pets and cage birds. Their flight is- 

 quite rapid and strong, and when going any distance, often high 

 above the trees. 



Their nests are placed in small trees, six to twelve feet from 

 the ground, usually towards the top and near the center of the 

 tree. A coarse, loosely constructed nest, made of twigs, stems 

 of weeds, bits of old leaves and rootlets, and lined with a finer 

 material from the same. Eggs three, occasionally four. Size 

 (they vary greatly), . 95 x . 69; grayish to greenish white, spotted 

 and blotched with various shades of reddish brown, and in some 

 cases with obscure shell-stains of lilac; in form, oval. 



Habia melanocephala (SWAINS.). 



BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK. 

 ' PLATE XXIX. 



Summer resident; quite common in the western to middle 

 part of the State; rare or accidental in the eastern portion. Ar- 

 rive the first of May; begin laying last of May; leave in Sep- 

 tember. 



B. 381. R. 245. C. 290. G. 123, 244. U. 596. 



HABITAT. Western United States; east to middle Nebraska, 

 Kansas and Texas; south into Mexico; known to breed north 

 of Mexico, in suitable localities throughout their range. 



SP. CHAR. Under wing coverts clear gamboge yellow or lemon yellow. 

 Adult male: Head black, the throat, and sometimes a postocular stripe (occasion- 

 ally a stripe on middle of crown, also), light cinnamon ochraceous; wings and 

 tail black, varied with white, as in H. ludomciana; back, mixed black and light 

 cinnamon (sometimes uniform black); rump, collar round hindneck, and most 

 of lower parts, uniform buffy cinnamon; belly and under wing coverts lemon 

 yellow; under tail coverts white. Adult female: Above, dusky grayish brown, 

 streaked, especially on back and middle line of crown, with pale fulvous or buffy; 

 beneath pale fulvous or ochraceous, streaked on sides and flanks with dusky, 

 but usually without streaks on breast; belly pale yellowish, and under wing cov- 

 erts clear lemon yellow. Young: Much like adult female, but (especially the 



