178 



The winter of 18S3-'84 was marked by an unusual abundance of these 

 Grosbeaks. They came early and stayed late. At Minneapolis, which 

 has long been known as one of their regular winter resorts, the first 

 flock was seen November 7, containing about fifty individuals, and they 

 remained all winter. 



During the whole of the winter of 1883-'84 they were very common 

 along the Mississippi Eiver, from Minneapolis to the southern border 

 of the State. They were reported from Minneapolis, Hastings, Eed 

 Wing, Lake City, and Lanesboro ; in northeastern Iowa from Mitchell, 

 and in central Iowa from Des Moines and Ooralville. At Des Moines 

 the bulk left the first week in March, and the last was seen March 23. 

 They came to Lanesboro, Minn., about the middle of February, and by 

 April 3 were among the most common birds in all the woods down the 

 valley of the Koot Eiver for a few miles below town. These great num- 

 bers reached their height April 19, and even so late as May 13 the birds 

 were still making the woods resound with their noisy notes. East of the 

 Mississippi they were seen at Eiver Falls and Green Bay, Wis. At the 

 latter place they have been known to stay until May 30. At Portage 

 La Prairie, Manitoba, the last was seen May 1G. 



In the fall of 1884 the first Evening Grosbeak, a male, appeared at 

 Elk Eiver, Minn., October 17 ; and a flock was seen at Vermillion, Dak., 

 December 24. 



In the spring of 1885 they were not nearly so common as during the 

 previous spring. The notes seem to indicate wandering rather than 

 migration. The records are as follows: Milwaukee, Wis., one seen 

 March 28; Lanesboro, Minn., many males and females seen for the 

 first time April 4 and left again in about a week $ Heron Lake, Minn, 

 seen March 12 and again the next day ; Elk Eiver, Minn., scarce during 

 the winter of 1884-'85, two males -seen February 25 and one female 

 March 1. At Shell Eiver, Manitoba, they were seen February 20 

 when the temperature was 40° below zero. In the fall of 1885 the first 

 was seen at Elk Eiver, Minn., October 30. They had previously been 

 seen at Lanesboro, Minn., October 18, and were still there December 1. 



515. Pinicola enucleator (Linn.). [166.] Pine Grosbeak. 



A winter visitant from the north. All through the winter and spring 

 of 1883-'84 the newspaper press of the country contained accounts of 

 the presence of these birds in the Northern States, and occasionally 

 of the straying of one a little farther south. The comparative rarity 

 of the species and the bright color of the old males make them favor- 

 ites among collectors, and wherever they go their ranks are rapidly 

 thinned. In the Mississippi Valley they have been found as far south 

 as Kansas (one instance) and Illinois. At Alda, in southeastern Ne- 

 braska, Mr. Powell took a female in May, 1882. The winter of 1883-'84 

 was not marked by special abundance at any point ; in fact, the con- 

 trary was true, for they were rather less common than usual. They 

 visittd Eipon, Wis., and Mitchell, Iowa, and north of these points were 



