PINE GROSBEAK. 
81 
The female lays four white eggs, which are hatched in June. 
Forster observes, that they visit Hudson’s Bay only in May, 
on their way to the north ; and are not observed to return in 
the autumn ; and that their food consists of birchwillow buds, 
and others of the same nature.* 
The Pine Grosbeak measures nine inches in length, and 
fourteen inches in extent ; the head, neck, breast, and rump, 
are of a rich crimson, palest on the breast ; the feathers on 
the middle of the back are centred with arrow-shaped spots 
of black, and skirted with crimson, which gives the plumage 
a considerable flush of red there ; those on the shoulders are 
of a deep slate colour, partially skirted with red, and light ash. 
The greater wing-coverts and next superior row are broadly 
tipt with white, and slightly tinged with reddish ; wings and 
tail, black, edged with light brown ; tail, considerably forked ; 
lower part of the belly, ash colour ; vent-feathers, skirted with 
white, and streaked with black ; legs, glossy black ; bill, a 
brownish horn colour, very thick, short, and hooked at the 
point ; the upper mandible overhanging the lower considerably, 
approaching in its form to that of the Parrot ; base of the bill, 
covered with recumbent hairs of a dark brown colour. The 
whole plumage, near the roots, as in most other birds, is of a 
deep bluish ash colour. The female was half an inch shorter, 
and answered nearly to the above description ; only, those 
parts that in the male were crimson, were in her of a dirty 
yellowish colour. The female, according to Forster, referred 
to above, has those parts which in the male are red, more of 
an orange tint ; and he censures Edwards for having repre- 
sented the female of too bright a red. It is possible, that my 
specimen of the female might have been a bird of the first 
season, not come to its full colours. Those figured by Mr 
Edwards f were both brought from Hudson’s Bay, and appear 
to be the same with the one now before us, though his 
colouring of the female differs materially from his description. 
* Philosophical Transactions, Ixii. 402. f Enw. iii. 124. 
VOL. I. 
F 
