BULLETIN. 
Discovery of the Eggs of the Even- 
ing Grosbeak. 
No. 8. 
California Academy of Sciences. 
DISCOVERY OF THE 
NEST AND EGGS OF THE EVENING GROSBEAK 
( Coccothraustes vespertina . ) 
BY WALTER E. BRYANT. 
Read June 20, 1887. 
Although this species was first described in 1825, I be- 
lieve that no description of its nest and eggs has previously 
appeared. Accordingly I take pleasure in announcing the 
discovery of the first nest and eggs, by Mr. E. H. Fiske, in 
Yolo County, California. Regarding this interesting find- 
ng, Mr. h iske has written me the following particulars 
from his field notes. 
The nest, containing four eggs, was taken May 10th, 1886, 
but incubation was so far advanced that he was unable to 
preserve them. In general shape, color and marking, they 
were similar to eggs of the Black-headed Grosbeak, but in 
size he thinks they were somewhat larger. 
The nest was built in a small live oak, at a height of ten 
feet, and was a more pretentious 'structure than is usually 
built by the Black-headed Grosbeak, being composed of 
small twigs supporting a thin layer of fibrous bark, and a 
lining of horse hair. 
It is to be hoped that Mr. Fiske will be successful in find- 
ing additional specimens from which measurements may be 
determined. 
32— Bull. Cal. Acad. Sci, II. 8. Issued July 23, 1887. 
l 357- Discovery of the Nest and Eggs of the Evening Grosbeak 
( Coccothraustes vespertina). From a paper by Walter E. Bryant, read 
before the California Academy of Sciences, June 20, 1887. Ibid., No. 5, 
Aug. 25, p. 86. SPor, & Stream, Yol.XXIX 
BY ,J. P. N. 
Mr. Walter E. Bryant read a short paper be- 
fore the California Academy of Sciences, on 
June 20tli, 1887, in which lie described the dis- 
covery of the first nest and eggs of the Even- 
ing Grosbeak, ( Hesperiphona vespertina) ever 
found. The lucky man was Mr. E. H. Fiske, 
and he found the nest in Yolo County, Califor- 
nia. Mr. Bryant says : 
“The nest, containing four eggs, was taken 
May 10th, 1886, but incubation was so far ad- 
vanced that he was unable to preserve them. 
In general shape, color and markings, they 
were similar to eggs of the Black-headed 
Grosbeak, but in size he thinks they were 
somewhat larger. 
“ The nest was built in a small live oak. at a 
height of ten feet, and was a more pretentious 
structure than is usually built by the Black- 
headed Grosbeak, being composed of small 
twigs supporting a thin layer of fibrous bark, 
and a lining of horse hair. 
“ It is to be hoped that Mr. Fiske will be suc- 
cessful in finding additional specimens from 
which measurements may be determined.” 
The present writer cordially joins in the 
above hope, but he cannot help deploring the 
fact that the eggs were not preserved in alco- 
hol. No matter how large the embryos in eggs 
are, they can always be preserved in alcohol, 
and surely such specimens are better than none 
at all in the case of rare eggs like these. 
O.& o. XII, Sept. 1887 p /VV 
37 
