I'RINOILLin^ — TFIK ITXCIIKS. 7;^ 



small j^rovcs on tlm bunks ol' Htreanis. Tlicir nests aro cioarsoly laiilt, with 

 a base conipusud of waste stuliblo, IVa^'inents of k-avus, and stems of plants. 

 Tiiese are intei'min;,'lucl with and Htren,i,'tliened liy t\vif»s and coiirser stems, 

 riiey have a diameter of ei,i;lit inches, and a hei^iit of three and a half. 

 The njiiier portion of the nest is nsually eomposed of dry iismii mosse.s, 

 mingled with a few twin;s, and lined with liner twij,'s. Its cavity is three 

 inches in diameter and one in depth, beinj,' <[uite shallow for so lari,'e r nest. 



The e<,'gs bear some rosenddance to those of tlu! J't/nnHja; lait are usually 

 nnich lari^er, though tlioy vary greatly in size". Their ground-coloi' is usually 

 a light but well-marked shade of verdigris-gnnm, \arying occasionally to a 

 tireenish-white, and are marked, more or less, over their entire surface, with 

 idotches of reddish-brown. They vary in length from l.do to .'.10 of an inch, 

 and from .78 to .00. 



Diu'ing incubation, and in the ]iresence of its mate, this (Irosbeak is a 

 persistent and enthusiastic singer, and, at times, carries his love of song so 

 far as to betray hi.s nest. This is more especially so when he relieves his 

 mate, takes her [dace on the nest, and then, apparently oblivious of the dan- 

 ger of lifting up his voice in song when upon so responsible a duty, attracts, 

 by his melody, the o(.)logist to his treasures. 



Dr. Iloy, of Kacine, supplies .some interesting information in regard to the 

 habits and nesting of this .siieeies. On the loth of dune, within six miles 

 of that city, he found seven nests, all withhi a space of not over five acres, 

 and he was assureil that each year they resort to the same locality and ne.st 

 thus socially. Six of these nests were in thorn-trees, all were within six to 

 ten feet from the ground, and all were in the central jHirtion of the top. 

 Three of the four i)arent birds sitting on the nests were males, and this he 

 was t(dd was usually the ease. When a nest was disturlii'd, all the neighbor- 

 ing (Irosbeaks gathered around and api)eared ecjually interested. I'oth nest 

 and eggs so closely resemble these of the Tanagers that it is dillicult to dis- 

 tinguish them. Their position is, however, usually different, the (irosbeaks 

 generally nesting in the central portion of a small tree, the Tanagers' being 

 placed on a horizontal limb. 



Hedymeles melanocephalus, Swain8on. 



BLACK-HEADED GBOSBEAK. 



Ouiraca wehtnocrphuhi, Sw. Syii. Mt'X. Birds Pliilo.s. Mafj. I, Mi'Xi, 4^8. — Ron. List, 1838. 

 — In. Consp. 1850, .502. — Haiiii), Birds N. Am. 18r.8, 498. — CooiT.li k Sccklkv, 206. 

 Cmrnthnuistcs mi'ldiiiitrjilinlii, Ktrn. List, Vr. Brit. Ass. for 183(), 1837. Fiiiiijilhi 

 mcliiiiiii'i'jihiila, Ari). Orii. Biof;. IV, 1838, .llit, jil. ocdx.xiii. Coccnhorus meJamwcphithifi, 

 AiM). Synopsis, 1S39, 133. — III. Birds Am. Ill, 1841, 214, i)I. 206. — IIekkm. X, S, 

 51 (nest). — rooi'Klt, Orii. Cal. I, 228. (/nnidjilieii nirJanorep/mla, Scr.ATEli ? Ilcrljl- 

 melcs melmincephihi, f'AiiANin, Mus. Ilriti, 1851, 153. FrimjiVa xiinthomnsi'hili.i, 

 Waoleu, Isis, 1831, 525. rUiihis i/ultiihis, Lesson, IJev. Zoiil. II, 1839, 102. 

 IGuinica frkoltn; Le.s.son, Kov. Zoiil. II, 1839, 102. 

 vol.. u. 10 



