i68 ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK. 



The flight of the Rose-breasted Grosbeak is strong, even, and as 

 graceful as it is sustained. When traveUing southward, at the approach 

 of autumn, or about the 1st of September, it passes high over the forest 

 trees, in the manner of the King Bird and the Robin, ahghting toward 

 sunset on a tall tree, from which it in a few minutes dives into some close 

 thicket, where it remains during the night. The birds travel singly at 

 this season, as Avell as during spring. 



I am indebted to my friend John Bachman, for the following infor- 

 mation respecting this interesting Grosbeak : " One spring, I shot at a 

 beautiful male bird of this species, in the State of New York. It was 

 wounded 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 recover- 

 ed itself I secured it. Not having a cage at hand, I let it fly in the room 

 which I had made my study. Before an hour had 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 quite 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. It 

 required indeed some care to observe that the patient had been injured. I 

 procured a cage for it, to which it immediately became reconciled. It ate all 

 kinds of food, but preferred Indian corn meal and hempseed. It appeared^ 

 fonder of insects than birds of that genus are supposed to be, and ate grass- 1 

 hoppers and crickets with peculiar relish. It would at times sit for hours^ 

 watching the flies, as these passed about it, and snatched at and ofteni 

 secured such wasps as now and then approached the pieces of fruit throwilj 

 into the cage. Very often, of fine moonshiny nights, it would tune itsi 

 pipe, and sing sweetly, but not loudly, remaining quietly perched and inlj 

 the same position. Whilst singing during the day, it was in the habit of 

 opening its wings, and gently raising them, somewhat in the manner of 

 the Mocking Bird. I found it very difficult to preserve this bird duringj 

 winter, and was obliged for that purpose to place it in a room heated byj 

 a stove to summer temperature. It was a hvely and very gentle com- 

 panion of my study for nearly three years ; it died of cold the third win- 

 ter. It frequently escaped from the cage, but never exhibited the least^ 

 desire to leave me, for it invariably returned to some portion of the hous 

 at the approach of night. Its song continued about six weeks duringi 



