has become a scarce bird of late in many localities. The reason for this sad fact is the 

 uninterrupted and unexcusable war waged against our birds, especially those of bright 

 colors. It has been recorded that in certain places, where our birds are protected, the 

 Rose-breasted Grosbeak increases in numbers. Dr. J. A. Allen is of the opinion that it has 

 increased in numbers in all parts of Massachusetts during the last twenty-five years, and in 

 the Connecticut valley it seems now to be also a more common bird than in former years. 



I have already alluded to the fact that this elegant bird is of a rather local 

 occurrence. In Wisconsin we may find five or six pairs in a tract of woodland not ex- 

 ceeding two or three acres, while several miles away in a locality, apparently no less 

 suitable, not one pair is found. Woods consisting partly of evergreens and partly of 

 deciduous trees and shrubs are its favorite haunts. It prefers the borders of woods 

 and the vicinity of lakes and streams, often also breeding in close proximity to houses, 

 selecting for this purpose evergreens, ornamental and pear trees. 



The nest is usually built among the dense foliage in some horizontal branch, very 

 near the trunk of a tree, firom six to fifteen feet from the ground, near the border of 

 woodlands, or near springs, rivers, and lakes. I found the structures almost always in 

 alders, birches, young white pines and cedars, and in northern Illinois the birds had a 

 predilection for white-thorns and pear trees which were found in an orchard bordering 

 the woodland. On the Des Plaines, in northern Illinois, I usually found the nests early 

 in June. They wer^ built in tracts of dense and rather low woods with an almost 

 impenetrable growth of underwood consisting of different species of viburnums, white- 

 thorns, wild crab trees, hazel and gooseberry bushes, grape-vines, Virginia creeper, and 

 climbing bittersweet {Celastrus scandens). On the rank herbaceous plants several 

 parasitic species of Cuscata or dodder, with yellowish or reddish thread-like stems; were 

 twining in a luxuriant way. Oaks, hickories, elms, and ashes were the prevailing forest 

 trees. Catbirds, Wood Thrushes, Towhees, Brown Thrashers, Red-eyed Vireos; and 

 Scarlet Tanagers sang their sweetest notes. The nest was placed usually near the trunk 

 of a white-thorn or a wild crab tree, and I discovered several on which the male was 

 breeding, his black head being noticeable fi-om quite a distance. During this time masses 

 of flowering wild crab trees perfumed the wildwood air. The nest is not an elegant 

 aftair ; it is, in fact, bulky, if not actually slovenly, being formed of long slender grasses, 

 plant stems, and rootlets. The lining consists of finer grasses and fibres. It has on the 

 exterior a diameter of about six inches and a depth of four inches. The cavity is 

 usually three inches wide, by one and a half deep. 



The eggs, generally three and four and rarely five in number, are greenish-blue, 

 more or less spotted over the entire surface, with dots and blotches of deep and reddish- 

 brown. They closely resemble the eggs of the Scarlet Tanager. 



The late Dr. R. P. Hoy, of Racine, Wis., found seven nests about six miles from that 

 city on the 15th of June, all within a space of not over five acres. Six of these nests were 

 in thorn trees from six to ten feet fi-om the ground, and all were in the central portion 

 of the top. Three of the four parent birds sitting on the nest were males. When a nest 

 was disturbed, all the neighboring Grosbeaks gathered around and appeared equally 

 interested. Both nest and eggs so closely resemble those of the Tanagers, that it is 

 difficult to distinguish them. Their position is, however, usually different, the Grosbeaks 



