on the Bose-brensted Grosbeak.



83



“It is composed of the dried twigs of trees, mixed with a few

“ leaves and the bark of vines, and is lined with fibrous roots and

“ horse-hair.”


Audubon goes on to write—“ I am indebted to my friend,

“ John Bachman for the following information respecting this inter-

“ esting Grosbeak. One spring I shot at a beautiful male of this

“species in the state of New York. [When will man learn to be

more merciful. The United States of America are now reaping the

fruits of many, many years of promisQuous and selfish slaughter,

e.c/., The Passenger Pigeon. — E d.] “ It was wounded, Bachman

“ continued, in one foot only, and although I could not perceive any

“ other injury afterwards, it fell from the tree to the ground, and

“ before it recovered itself, I secured it. Not having a cage at hand,

“ I let it fly in the room which I made my study, Before an hour

“ elapsed, it appeared as if disposed to eat : it refused corn and

“ wheat, but fed heartily on bread dipped in milk. The next day it

“ was nearly quite gentle, and began to examine the foot injured by

“ the shot, which was much swollen and quite black. It began to

“ bite off its foot at the wounded part, and soon succeeded in cutting

“ it right across. It healed in a few days, and the bird used the

“ mutilated leg almost as well as the other, perching and resting

“ upon it. I procured a cage for it, to which it immediately became

“ reconciled. It ate all kinds of food, but preferred Indian corn and

“ hempseed. It appeared fonder of insects than birds of that genus

“ are supposed to be, and ate grasshoppers and crickets with peculiar

“relish. ... It frequently escaped from its cage, but never

“ exhibited the least desire to leave me, for it invariably returned to

“ some portion of the house at the approach of night.”


“ It’s song continued about six weeks during summer, and

“about two in the autumn.”


Mr. Frank M. Chapman in his book on the “ Birds of Eastern

North America,” writes : —


“ There is no mistaking the black, white and rose costume of

“ the Red-breasted Grosbeak, but the identity of his more modestly

“ attired mate may long remain an open question. So little does

“ she resemble him, that she might pass for an over-grown Sparrow

“ with a rather conspicuous white stripe over the eye.”



