286 FRINGILLID^E I FINCHES. 



cultivated grounds, and their presence near the house 

 is likely to be soon betrayed by the rich and power- 

 ful voice of the male. The following picture of the 

 secluded home of the birds is given by Dr. Coues from 

 observations made on the Red River of the North, but 

 is no less applicable to New England : 



" On entering the belt of noble timber that borders 

 the river, in June, we are almost sure to be saluted 

 with the rich rolling song of the rose-breasted male ; 

 and as we penetrate into the deeper recesses, pressing 

 through the stubborn luxuriance of vegetation into the 

 little shady glades that the bird loves so well, we may 

 catch a glimpse of the shy and retiring female, darting 

 into concealment, disturbed by our approach. She is 

 almost sure to be followed the next moment by her 

 ardent spouse, solicitous for her safety, bent on re- 

 assuring her by his presence and caresses. Sometime 

 during this month, as we enter a grove of saplings, 

 and glance carefully overhead, we may see the nest, 

 placed but a few feet from the ground, in the fork of a 

 limb. The female, alarmed, will flutter away stealth- 

 ily, and we may not catch another glimpse of her, nor 

 of her mate even, though we hear them both anxiously 

 consulting together at a little distance. The nest is 

 not such an elegant affair as might be desired ; it is, 

 in fact, bulky and rude, if not actually slovenly. It 

 is formed entirely of the long, slender, tortuous stems 

 of woody climbers, and similar stout rootlets ; the base 

 and outer walls being very loosely interlaced, the inner 

 more compactly woven, with a tolerably firm brim of 

 circularly disposed fibres. Sometimes there is a little 

 horse-hair lining, oftener not. A very complete nest 

 before me is difficult to measure, from its loose out- 



