182 PINE GROSBEAK. 



feet. To the eye these lumps appear not unlike pieces of lime; but when 

 broken, the interior presents a congeries of minute cells, as regularly and 

 beautifully formed as those of a honey-comb. Sometimes, though rarely, 

 I have seen the whole of the legs and feet covered with this substance, and 

 when the crust was broken, the bone was bare, and the sinews seemed almost 

 altogether to have lost the power of moving the feet. An acquaintance of 

 mine kept one of these birds during the summer months. It became quite 

 tame, but at last it lost the power of its legs and died. By this person I 

 was informed that his Grosbeak usually sang during a thunder-storm, or 

 when rain was falling on the house." 



While in the State of Maine, I observed that these birds, when travelling, 

 fly in silence, and at a considerable height above the trees. They alight on 

 the topmost branches, so that it is difficult to obtain them, unless one has a 

 remarkably good gun. But, on waiting a few minutes, you see the flock, 

 usually composed of seven or eight individuals, descend from branch to 

 branch, and betake themselves to the ground, where they pick up gravel, 

 hop towards the nearest pool or streamlet, and bathe by dipping their heads 

 and scattering the water over them, until they are quite wet; after which 

 they fly to the branches of low bushes, shake themselves with so much 

 vigour as to produce a smart rustling sound, and arrange their plumage. 

 They then search for food among the boughs of the taller trees. 



Male, 8^, 14. Female, Si, 13^. 



From Pennsylvania and New Jersey, in winter, eastward to Newfound- 

 land. Breeds from Maine northward. Common. Migratory. 



Pine Grosbeak, Loxia Enuclealor, Wile. Amer. Orn., vol. i. p. 80. 



Pyrhhula Enucleator, Bonap. Syn., p. 119. 



Pyrrhula (Corythos) Enucleator, Pine Bullfinch, Swains, and Rich. F. Bor. Amer. 



vol. ii. p. 262. 

 Pine Grosbeak or Bullfinch, Nutt. Man., vol. i. p. 535. 

 Pine Grosbeak, Pyrrhula Enuclealor, Aud. Orn. Biog., vol. iv. p. 414. 



Adult Male. 



Bill short, robust, bulging at the base, conical, acute; upper mandible with 

 its dorsal outline convex, the sides convex, the edges sharp and overlapping; 

 lower mandible with the angle short and very broad, the dorsal line ascend- 

 ing and slightly convex, the sides rounded, the edges inflected; the acute 

 decurved tip of the upper mandible extending considerably beyond that of 

 the lower; the gap-line deflected at the base. 



Head rather large, ovate, flattened above; neck short; body full. Legs 

 short, of moderate strength; tarsus short, compressed, with six anterior 

 scutella, and two plates behind, forming a thin edge; toes short, the first 



