PERCHING BIRDS 



r'enish lilue 



595. Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Ziimelodia 

 ludoviciana. 



Range. — United States, 

 east oJ the Plains, breed- 

 ing from the Middle States 

 and Ohio north to Mani- 

 toba and Nova Scotia. 



This beautiful black and 

 white bird with rosy red 

 breast and under wing cov- 

 erts, is one of the most 

 pleasing of our songsters. They nest either in 

 bushes or trees, generally between six and 

 twenty feet from the ground and usually in 

 thick clumps of trees or scrubby apple trees. 

 The three or four eggs, which are laid in June, 

 are greenish blue, spotted, most heavily about 

 the larger end, with reddish brown. Size 1.00 

 X .75. Data. — Worcester, Mass., June 5, 1S99. 

 Nest of twigs and rootlets in small apple tree 

 in woods; nest very frail, eggs showing through 

 the bottom. 



Rose-hiea';ted (iiot)ipik 



.IlK).. . Br.ACK-IIEADEl) GrOSIUCAK. 



'/,amelodia me.lanocephala. 



Range. — United 

 States, west of 

 the Plains, breed- 

 ing from Mexico 

 north to British 

 Columbia ; w i n- 

 ters south of the 



Pale greenish white United States. 

 J This species is of the size of the last 



(S inches long), and is a bright cinna- 

 mon brown color with black head, and 



black and white wings and tail. The 



habits of this bird are the same as 



those of the Rosebreasted Grosbeak 



and its song is very similar but more 



lengthy. Their nests, like those of the 



last, are very flimsy structures placed 



in bushes or trees, usually below twen- 

 ty feet from the ground; they are open 



frameworks of twigs, rootlets and 



weed stalks, through which the eggs 



can be plainly seen. The eggs are 



similar to those of the preceding but 



are usually of a paler color, the mark- ll 



ings, therefore showing with greater j 3 pardoe 



distinctness. Size 1.00 x .70. nest of rosb-brearted grosbeak. 



365 



