206 THE BLUE GROSBEAK. 



about as if much alarmed and distressed, and at last alighted on the ground 

 not far from me. Following them gradually, I saw them go up to one of 

 their young, and on reaching the place, saw the nest in a low bush of the 

 dogwood. -In it were two young ones dead, and one alive, covered with 

 large insects. Presently I heard the chirp of a fourth, which I found within 

 a few yards of the place. Concluding that the insects were the cause of all 

 the distress I saw, I destroyed them, and replaced the young birds in the 

 nest, where I left them. Visiting them repeatedly afterwards, I saw them 

 grow apace, until at length they flew off, when I cut the twig, and drew it 

 with the nest, as you now see it in the Plate. 



My friend Bachman has favoured me with the following remarks, which 

 I have pleasure in recommending to you. "Being desirous of procuring and 

 raising the young of this bird, I made considerable exertions to find a nest. 

 Having found four in the course of one spring, I observed that two of them 

 had been robbed of their eggs before incubation commenced. The young of 

 the third were destroyed by a snake, which I found in the act, and shot from 

 the bush. Those of the fourth escaped until nearly fledged, when going 

 towards them one morning to carry them away, and being within twenty 

 steps of them, I heard them chirping loudly, as if anxious to be fed, when I 

 saw a black snake a few yards before me, with its head raised high above 

 ground, as if listening to their cries. It went in a straight line to the bush, 

 as if following the sound, and before I came up to the place, it had swallowed 

 one, and was trying to escape with another in its mouth. I carried the two 

 remaining home, raised them with great ease, and kept them in an aviary for 

 two years. They proved to be females. On taking them out of the nest, I 

 had with me a trap cage, in which I tried to catch the old ones. They were 

 both very shy, suspicious, and so cautious that the female alone was inclined 

 to enter it, and was secured. When left with her young, she noticed them 

 not, and although I kept her for several years, she never attempted to build 

 a nest. A full-plumaged male purchased in the market, and put in the 

 aviary, mated on the following spring with one of the young females, took 

 possession of the nest of a Cardinal Grosbeak, which they drove off, carefully 

 repaired it, rendered it neat and comfortable, and laid two eggs, which unfor- 

 tunately were destroyed by the rats. In the aviary these birds are generally 

 silent, and during rain appeared delighted. They clung to the bars, driving 

 all other birds away, as if determined to enjoy the whole pleasure them- 

 selves." 



The food of this species consists principally of different sorts of seeds. 

 They are fond of those of rice and grass of all kinds during spring and 

 summer. Towards autumn, they now and then throw themselves into the 



