﻿1 62 



Bird- Lore 



My observations were chiefly confined to one nest, just at the top of a 

 steep ravine. By standing on the plateau above the nest, it could easily be 

 seen and touched. There were five eggs in this nest. They were of a light 

 green color, blotched with reddish brown. The young birds are at first 

 nearly covered with long, snow-white down and are very pretty. 



Grosbeaks are comparatively tame, the male being especially bold. I fre- 

 quently set up my camera within two feet of the nest without frightening 

 the birds away. On the first occasion the female was on the nest. My 

 operations disturbed her and she flew off, giving a loud call to her mate, 

 who came in a moment, and without the least hesitation took her place on 



MALE GROSBEAK ON THE NEST 



the nest. I could almost touch him before he got off. Then, as I retreated 

 a step, he would return to the nest. The male seemed to share very faith- 

 fully, with his mate, the cares of the household. The male usually was 

 silent about the home tree, while the female kept chirping shrilly in the 

 neighboring shrubbery. 



The mates seemed to take turns in feeding the young. While one was 

 away foraging the other would stay at the nest, at least while observers 

 were near. The returning bird always notified the other of his coming by 

 calling. After the feeding, the parent usually sat on the edge of the nest 

 watching the offspring with solicitous care. The food consisted of locusts, 

 caterpillars, moths and other insects, and fruit. I never saw the parents 

 feeding potato beetles to the young, though the Grosbeak is called the 

 "potato-bug bird" in the West, for its destructiveness of this insect. 



