244 THE BIRDS 
This species is not a common bird even in our mountain 
region. My father found a nest with young at Hot 
Springs, .\ugust 1, 1911. Professor Smyth reports it as 
“A rare spring and fall migrant, and breeds in Taylors 
Valley, near White Top Mountain.” He also reports it as 
a migrant .\pril 29th to May 3rd, and September 23rd for 
the vicinity of Blacksburg. The following data is from sets 
in my collection which I took at Mountain Lake. Fresh 
egos, four in number, May 25th to June 10th, a greenish- 
blue ground color, heavily blotched with brown. Size, .98x 
68. The nests are constructed of twigs, rootlets, and weeds, 
a loosely made structure like those of the tanagers, and 
placed in a bush or tree, from five to twenty feet up. 
Their food varies greatly according to conditions. Some- 
times they destroy much small fruit and fruit buds, while 
at other times insects form the greater part of their 
food. Thev are, however, so few with us even during 
migration, that they can not be considered either bene- 
ficial or harmful to any extent. At Mountain Lake, Giles 
County, only two pair were found; breeding in the tall 
tops of the rhododendrons. 
GENUS GUIRACA. 
[597]. Gutraca cerulea coerulea (Linneus). Blue 
Grosbeak. 
Rance.—Eastern North America. Breeds in Caro- 
linian and Austroriparian zones from Missouri, southern 
Tllinois, and Maryland south to eastern Texas and northern 
Florida; winters in Yueatan and Honduras; casual in 
southern Indiana and southern Pennsylvania; accidental 
in Wisconsin, New England, the Maritime Provinces, and 
Cuba. 
