312 



FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 



mothor, hoppiiij? aV)out in great excitement, and appearing to think 

 tiio whole worhl thirsting for the life of his pretty little ones, 



The'Cardinal mother shows the restless manners and anxious spirit 

 of her mate, taking one's intrusion upon her domest'c afl'airs greatly 

 to heart, and being so much disturbed that tliere is more pain than 

 pleasure in making acquaintance with her nestlings. 



Olive Tiiokne Miller. 



i; 



MM 



505> Habialudoviciaiut (Zi'nn.). Ros£-itKEASTEi> Ghosiskak. Ad. 

 a .—Head, tliroat, and back black; breast and under winj,'-covert8 brij^lit 

 rose-red. this color sometimes cxteiidin<f down tlio center of tiic white belly ; 

 run; ■ -.liite, tipped with black; wiw^s black; primaries white at tlio base; 

 tail black, the outer leathers tipped with white on the inner wet). Ad. 9 •— 

 Upper parts f,'rayish brown, margined with cream-bull" and pale grayisli 

 brown; a butty line througii the center of the crown, and a conspicuous 

 whitisii line over the eye; wings and tail dark grayisii brown; wing- coverts 

 tipped with white- under wing-coverts oranr/c ; umlcr parts buily, streaked 

 with dark grayisii l)rcwn. ////. S .—Resembles the 9 , but has the under 

 wing-coverts rose-red. L., 8-12 ; VV., 4-02 ; T., 2-99 ; B., -09. 



Ji'anfje. — Eastern North America; breeds from eastern Kansas and the 

 liigher altitudes of Virginia and North Carolina northward to Maine and 

 Manitoba ; winters in Central and South America. 



Washington, rather common T. V , May 1 to 20; Aug. 2o to Oct. 1. Sing 

 Sing, tolerably common S. K., May 3 to Oct. 1. Cambridge, conunon 8. K., 

 May 10 to Sept. 10. 



JW.sf, of tine twigs, weed stalks, and rootlets, in busbc or trees, live to 

 twenty feet up. A'f/f/.^', four to tivc, pale blue, with immerous olive-brown or 

 rutbus-brown markings, ■i)U x •(59. 



Sometimes in passing through young second growths, and more 

 rarely densely undergrown woodland, I hear a singular kind of (jues- 

 tioning call-note, not h)ud. but distinct — a steely peek, peck. It is a 

 signal to me to pause and look for its author; e\en a glimpse of him 

 is worth several minutes' waiting and watching. There is no mistak- 

 ing his black, white, and rose costume; but the identity of his more 

 modestly attired nuite may long remain an open question. So little 

 docs she resemble him tliat she might pass for an overgrown Sparrow 

 with a ratlior conspicuous whitisii stripe over her eye. 



The song of the Rose-breasted Grosbeak is generally compared to 

 that of the Robin, and musical annotation would doubtless show that 

 the comparison is not misleading. But the similarity is largely one of 

 form; in expression there is no more resemblance in their voices than 

 there is between the birds themselves. There is an exquisite purity in 

 the joyous carol of the Grosbeak ; liis .song tells of all the gladness of 

 a May morning; I have heard few happier strains of bird music. 

 With those who are deaf to its message of good cheer 1 can only sym- 



