LAND BIRDS. 467 
tail-coverts. Two conspicuous white or whitish wing-bars at all ages. 
Bill very stout, but short and small for a grosbeak. 
Distribution.—Northern parts of Northern Hemisphere to about the 
northern limit of trees; south in winter irregularly into the United states 
east of the Rocky Mountains; breeds mainly north of the United States. 
The Pine Grosbeak is a winter visitor to Michigan, coming with some 
regularity into the northern part of the state, and once in a dozen years 
perhaps appearing in large numbers and extending its range over the whole 
of the state. As far south as the latitude of Lansing a few individuals 
are seen almost every winter, but in the two southern tiers of counties, 
and particularly in the southeastern corner of the state, it is a comparatively 
rare visitor. At Ann Arbor Mr. Covert states that it was very common 
during the winter of 1874-75, and a few specimens were taken in December 
1878, but that ordinarily it is not seen. In 1881 it was seen in flocks 
of thousands in Jackson county, but with that exception is considered 
rare. At Plymouth, Wayne county, Mr. Purdy took a single bird December 
9, 1903, which he says is the only one he ever saw there. Mr. Swales does 
not consider it common about Detroit, but two were killed near there 
November 9, 1903, and two more were seen March 6, 1904. They were 
fairly common at Kalamazoo during the first week in December, 1903, 
and several specimens were taken. A few are seen almost every winter 
on the campus of the Agricultural College, Ingham county, and two or 
three times since 1894 they have been present in large numbers, and from 
December to March. Occasionally they come from the north in November, 
and in New England they have been noted repeatedly in October, but as 
a general rule they do not appear until December or later, and a few 
instances are known in which they have been absent until February and 
then have appeared in large numbers. 
Though ordinarily seen in flocks, sometimes to the number of one hundred 
and fifty or two hundred, they also occur singly or in pairs, but these single 
birds are readily attracted by a whistled imitation of their note and always 
seem anxious to rejoin others of their kind. Usually they prefer regions 
where conifers are abundant and much of their food consists of the buds 
of pine, spruce and tamarack, and of the berries of the Virginia juniper, 
but they also eat the buds of other trees and are particularly fond of the 
seeds of maples, the berries of the mountain ash, and a large variety of other 
berries and seeds. They are quite unsuspicious, allowing a very close 
approach while feeding, and the writer has frequently taken them alive 
with a butterfly net or with a noose of wire on the end of a fishing-rod. 
A great majority of the specimens which we see appear to be young birds, 
the proportion of old males, as indicated by the rosy color, being seldom 
greater than one in twenty-five, and not infrequently a flock of fifty or 
more will not contain a single high-plumaged male. 
The call-note is a very clear whistle, repeated two or three times, and 
resembles somewhat the plaintive note of a lost chicken. On sunny days 
in winter, especially after an abundant repast on seeds and berries, the 
male frequently warbles a low, sweet song which somewhat resembles 
that of the Purple Finch. During the nesting season it is said to have 
a beautiful warbling song of considerable volume and great sweetness. 
The Pine Grosbeak is not known to nest within our limits; in fact, United 
States nesting records are few, and mainly uncertain. The only suggestion 
of possible nesting lies in the fact that M’Creary, who accompanied the 
University of Michigan party to Isle Royale in 1905, found two Pine 
