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, care- 
fully repaired it, rendered it neat and comfortable, and laid two eggs, which 
unfortunately 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 themselves.” 
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 
