NOTES ON THE BIRDS OF FORT KLAMATH, 
OREGON. 
The Evening Grosbeak in Minnesota. 
BY DR. J. C. MERRILL, U. S. A. 
With remarks on certain species by William Brewster . 
[ Concluded from p, 262.\ 
Coccothraustes vespertina.— A common resident. Several large flocks 
arrived from the south early in March, and smaller ones were seen until 
the middle of May, after which only pairs and single birds were observed. 
During the spring I obtained specimens at short intervals, and from care- 
ful dissections of them am convinced that in this vicinity the bird is a late 
breeder, not depositing eggs before the latter part of June or the first of 
July. At this time they are generally to be found in the largest firs, and 
in these trees, rather than in pines, X think they build, at least about Fort 
Klamath. Indeed, I have twice watched pairs carrying some building 
material into a huge fir, but was unable to locate the nests exactly and, 
even if I had, should probably have been unable to get to them, great as 
the inducement would have been. 
Their note is a loud whistling call that may be heard at a considerable 
distance, and which is often repeated. In winter the crops were filled 
with seeds and crushed buds, and often fine bits of gravel ; in summer in- 
sects, and especially caterpillars, were generally found. 
It is rather difficult to prepare good specimens of this Grosbeak, for the 
skin is very thin, tears easily, and many feathers drop out; when one is 
shot, and in falling happens to strike a branch, so many feathers are gen- 
erally knocked out that it is not worth skinning. In winter, when there 
is snow on the ground, good specimens may be obtained by shooting 
only such birds as will have a clear fall from the branch they are on 
into soft snow. 
There is considerable variation in the color of the bill, and this is inde- 
pendent of sex; in some the entire bill is a clear light apple-green, 
scarcely or not at all tinged with yellow; in others the maxilla is pale 
yellowish tinged slightly with green, the mandible being horn color, 
tinged with greenish yellow only at the tip and cutting edge, and there 
are many gradations between these extremes. I have seen none in which 
the bill was “dusky at the base,” as stated in ‘ History of N. A. Birds,’ 
and which is probably the result of drying. 
Auk, V. October, 1888. p.357 
RY GEO. G. CANTWELL, MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. 
This beautiful bird, peculiar to the North- 
west, is the largest and handsomest of its race. 
They are the brightest of our northern visitors, 
arriving in this locality about the first of Janu- 
ary when cold weather sets in, and may be seen 
in flocks of from ten to thirty almost any day. 
feeding on the seeds of the maple. At this time 
of the year the males greatly outnumber the 
females, while in the spring the females pre- 
dominate and scarcely a male can be found. 
The bright old male as he sits in the top of a 
tree on a bright day appears to be a lump of 
shining gold, but as soon as killed, they seem 
to lose their lustre, although he is still a beauty ; 
the snow-white secondary quills contrasting 
with his bright yellow and shining black dress. 
The female is more modestly attired, partaking 
of the general color of the male, but much 
paler and with a brownish tinge, and lacking 
the white on the wings. Both have extremely 
large bills of a greenish yellow. They are very 
unwary birds, allowing a person to approach 
within a few feet of them. 
Those taken in the woods are always bright 
and clean, while those of the city are very dark 
colored. I have come to the conclusion that 
they spend the cold nights on cliimney-tops and 
in that way get their plumage soiled with smoke 
and coal dust. 
The males leave us about the middle of April, 
and at the same time quantities of females put 
in an appearance. I am unable to say whether 
they arrive from the South, or if they are all 
the females left behind by the males. The lat- 
ter seems the most probable, but there are 
many more females than there were in the win- 
ter, so some must come from some other place. 
They stay in the woods altogether, feeding on 
the young buds of different trees and grow very 
fat. 
They leave about the first week in May for 
the North, where they lay their eggs and rear 
their young undisturbed. I do not believe 
they pass through this section in the Fall, as i 
have never seen a single individual at that time. 
O.&O. XII. Apr.1887 p. icO ■ 
