THE ''"^^gi Will! 



WILSON BULLETIN 



NO. 92. 



A QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF ORNITHOLOGY 



VOL. XXVII SEPTEMBER, 1915 NO. 3 



OLD SERIES VOL. XXVII. NEW SERIES VOL. XXII. 



FIELD OBSERVATIONS ON THE ROSE-BREASTED 

 GROSBEAK. 



BY IRA N. GABRIELSON.. 



Twice in the spring of 1914, we located a nest of the Rose- 

 breasted Grosbeak (Zamelodia ludoviciana) with the pur- 

 pose of studying the nesting habits ; but each time Ave were 

 disappointed, owing to the persistent activities of small boy 

 egg collectors. For this reason we were delighted to find a 

 nest convenientlv located, which had escaped their notice, 

 and safely hatched. This nest, which was discovered on June 

 25, contained two young about four or five days old. It was 

 located about six feet from the ground in a small elm and 

 was the usual flimsy affair. The blind was erected imme- 

 diately. When we entered, we found the nest to be so high 

 that we could not see into it. But cutting out a small section 

 of the trunk and binding the top of the tree firmly to the 

 stump left for that purpose, the nest was lowered to within 

 three feet of the ground. It was otherwise left undisturbed, 

 save for the cutting away of such small twigs as interfered 

 with the view. 



The blind was entered for observation work on June 26 

 at 5 -.20 a. m. From then until the morning of July 2, my 

 wife and I alternated in the blind for as much time each day 

 as possible. Raymond Jarvis spent part of one day in the 

 blind and we were grateful to him for the relief. The first 



