200 Twelve Months With 



and has the thick heavy bill of the finch and spar- 

 row family. Its beautiful yellow and black plum- 

 age make its identification simple, for at this season 

 of the year it cannot be confused with any other 

 bird. 



In addition to the robin-like call, it also has a 

 tree-toad note, similar to the spring cry of the red- 

 headed woodpecker. 



Its real song is "a wandering, jerky warble, 

 beginning low, suddenly increasing in power, and 

 as suddenly ceasing, as though the singer were out 

 of breath." * 



It will always be found feeding on the buds or 

 seeds of trees — maple, elder and box elder, of 

 which there is an abundance in winter. During the 

 winters of 1886 and 1887 there were rather phe- 

 nomenal incursions of evening grosbeaks into the 

 Central States — Illinois, Indiana and Michigan, — 

 and many observations of them were recorded, but 

 of late they have been very irregular and erratic 

 winter visitants. The coniferous trees in Grace- 

 land Cemetery, Chicago, have on numerous occa- 

 sions in winter attracted these and other transients 

 from the north. 



November is the month to begin preparations 

 for feeding our bird friends through the cold and 

 stormy days of winter. Plenty of food will be 

 available until snow falls, but when the heavy 

 snows come much of the material that the birds 

 depend upon for food will be covered up. Plans 



* Birds of Eastern North America, p. 280. 



