The Rose-breasted Grosbeak 113 



the bird ten seconds as he stood beside the nest, and then went home, fully 

 prepared to find that my two attempts were failures. I was agreeably sur- 

 prised when they proved to be fairly successful. 



On June 2, I again tried to get photographs of both birds, without suc- 

 cess, so made pictures of nest and eggs and retired. On the following day 

 day the nest was gone, another of the frequent depredations about this spot. 



June 9, about ten rods from the site of this nest I noted a female Gros- 

 beak sitting on a new nest, and presume it was the bird from the rifled nest. 



Minot, in 'Land Birds and Game Birds of New England,' paying high 

 tribute to the beauty of dress and elegance of song of the male Grosbeak, 

 says "he therefore absents himself from the immediate neighborhood of his 

 nest except when obliged to approach it, or when relieving his mate from 

 the fatigue of incubation, as he occasionally does." In contrast to his 

 observation, I have with one exception found the male Grosbeak always in 

 the close vicinity of his home. Moreover, as seems often to be the case, 

 conspicuousness by reason of brilliant coloring is more apparent than actual. 

 As the photograph shows, when the male Grosbeak settles in his nest the 

 rosy tints are concealed, and the apparently striking blacks and whites blend 

 nicely into the blacks and whites of the foliage perspective. 



Off of the nest he is no more conspicuous than the Cuban Trogan, 

 and any one who has been in the forests where the latter birds abounded 

 can testify that, despite brilliant color, the birds are by no means readily 

 located. 



The song of the Grosbeak resembles in a great measure the songs of the 

 Robin and the Scarlet Tanager, and I heard one performer that I supposed 

 was a Baltimore Oriole until I saw the bird. There is a less melancholy note 

 to the Rose-breast's song than the Robin's possesses, while it has not a cer- 

 tain harshness that detracts from the quality of the Tanager's performance, 

 and to me it is greatly superior to both. 



As a final note I may add that on June 24, 1906, I located an empty nest 

 in the top of a locust in a grove of such trees, near my home. On July 7, 

 I found the female Grosbeak on this nest which, at that time, contained 

 eggs. As this is a late date for Grosbeak to be commencing housekeeping 

 cares, it seems probable that it was a second or third attempt on the part of 

 birds previously disturbed. 



