THE BLUE GROSBEAK. 
(Guiraca cerulea.) 
HIS beautiful specimen of the 
| finch family is found in the 
southern United States from 
Pee tlantich to) the sieacitic 
although very local and irregularly dis- 
tributed. It is occasionally found 
north to Kansas, Illinois, Pennsylvania 
and Connecticut. The male is brilliant 
blue, darker across the middle of the 
back. The female is yellowish brown 
above, brownish yellow beneath, dark- 
est across the breast, wings broadly 
edged with brownish yellow. Some- 
times there is a faint trace of blue on 
the tail, The young resemble the 
female. Males from the Pacific coast 
region have tails considerably longer 
than eastern specimens, while those 
from California are of a much lighter 
and less purplish blue. 
The blue grosbeak is a very incon- 
spicuous bird. Unless seen under the 
most favorable circumstances the adult 
male does not appear to be blue, but 
of a dusky color, and Ridgway says 
may easily be mistaken for a cow black- 
bird, unless carefully watched; besides 
they usually sit motionless, in a watch- 
ful attitude, for a considerable time, 
and thus easily escape observation. 
The blue grosbeak frequents the 
thickets of shrubs, briars and tall weeds 
lining astream flowing across a meadow 
or bordering a field, or the similar 
growth which has sprung up in an old 
clearing. The usual note is a strong 
harsh fiéchick, and the song of the male 
isa very beautiful, though rather feeble, 
warble. At least two broods are raised 
during a season. 
ODD PLACES CHOSEN. 
GUY STEALEY. 
vided enough space and a sufficient 
variety of nooks and corners for 
birds to choose from and build 
their nests in; yet it isa strange fact that 
many of them often prefer to follow 
man, and select, for their homes, some 
spot he has planned and made. 
In the fields one often sees the nests 
of robins and blackbirds built between 
the rails of pole fences, and sometimes 
catbirds choose this situation for a 
home. Around the barns will be 
found the swallows and their curious 
nests of mud. Then there are those 
cheerful and always friendly little 
birds, the wrens, which think that our 
houses are just the homes they would 
like, too; and any box or can, or what 
is prettiest of all, a miniature cottage 
placed on a fence, will rarely ever re- 
main unoccupied during the summer. 
Even the shy bluebirds, whose sheen 
of feathers seems to be borrowed from 
the sky, like to peep into these. 
Of all the wild birds, I believe I love 
F would seem that nature had pro- 
182, 
the wrens the best. They are always 
so busy and yet so companionable. 
Last spring, when the days began to 
get warm, I left the window of my 
room open to admit the fresh free air; 
and on going in there one day I spied 
one of these spry little fellows peeping 
and hopping around the curtains, 
which were looped up, forming a cozy 
recess. He did not seem to be alarmed 
at my presence, but calmly went on 
with his inspection; and would you 
believe it, the next morning the pair 
of them were busy constructing their 
nest in this nook. I let the window 
remain open all summer, and they 
raised their family there. 
But the strangest of all strange sites 
in which IJ ever found a nest was nearly 
at the bottom of a deep well! This 
well was walled up with rock and a 
couple of brown field birds carried 
twigs and grass down it and formed 
their nest on a projecting spur of stone. 
Why they should choose such a loca- 
tion as this it is hard to tell. 
