490 HISTORY OF THE 



velvet black. Wing feathers brown, edged externally with dull bluish brown. 

 Female: Brown above; whitish, obscurely streaked or blotched with brownish 

 yellow, beneath; tinged with blue on shoulders, edges of large feathers, and on 

 rump. Immature males similar, variously blotched with blue. Very young 

 birds streaked beneath. 



"In this species, which may be considered the type of the genus, the tail is 

 slightly emargiuate; the second quill is longest, the first shorter than the 

 fourth." 



Stretch of 

 Length. wing. Wing. Tail. Tarsus. Bill. 



Male 5.40 8.90 2.80 2.40 .70 .41 



Female... 5.25 8.55 2.60 2.20 .67 .40 



Iris brown; bill upper dusky, under blue, usually with a nar- 

 row line of black beneath from tip to forks; legs and feet yel- 

 lowish brown; claws dark brown. 



These birds of deep blue, as their name indicates, are rather 

 common throughout their range. They frequent the open 

 woodlands, orchards, cultivated fields, and edges of prairies 

 where skirted with trees, or dotted with scattering groves or 

 thickets. Their food, like all of the Fringillidce family, consists 

 largely of seeds, which they gather from the plants and weeds. 

 Insect life is also much sought after, especially during the breed- 

 ing season. They are naturally rather shy and suspicious, but, 

 when they select a nesting place near our dwellings, soon be- 

 come quite unconcerned and fearless. The male, during the 

 early mating season and while the hen bird is sitting, puts in a 

 large share of his time chanting, from the upper branches of a 

 low or detached tree, his simple, pleasing song, but as soon as 

 the young are hatched, he proudly assists his mate in feeding 

 and caring for the little ones, and is so solicitous and watchful 

 that he finds but little time to express his joy in song, and in 

 the latter part of the season is a rather silent bird. 



Their nests are placed in low, shrubby bushes. They are com- 

 posed of leaves, fibers and grasses, and lined with the fine stems 

 of grasses and horse hair. Eggs usually four, ,75x.55; white, 

 with a faint bluish hue (eggs showing a few brown spots are 

 rare and exceptional); in form, oval. 



