Rose Breasted Grosbeak. — “Jack” is 
this month, July, four years old, and is in 
fine plumage, except the tail which has 
again broken off without any perceptible 
reason. The rose-colored breast and the 
black head and back are very distinct and 
dense in shade. He commenced his song 
December 23, and has continued with little 
intermission so far, and is as healthy to- 
day as any wild bird. 
We gave part of the life history of this 
bird in confinement in No. 9, Vol. vi, to 
which we refer our new readers. The lady 
who brought “Jack” up made her usual 
annual visit this month; and as a matter of 
curiosity we arranged to be present at the 
meeting. The cage in which “Jack” is 
confined is a large one, giving him all the 
room required for comfort. As soon as the 
lady came in sight, “ Jack ” sprang across 
the cage to meet her, and when she called 
him by name he was wild with delight, 
filling the cage as it were and singing the 
sweetest notes imaginable all the while she 
was present. And this has been repeated 
every time the lady goes near the cage, 
and he recognizes her at sight, no matter 
what the dress might be or how it might 
be changed. This has been continued now 
for three Summers in succession and one 
Winter. No bird receives better care than 
this one, and he is continually petted and 
yet to no one but the lady that raised him 
does he ever make such a display of his 
affections. 
O.&O. Vll. Oct. 1882. p. /fef 
aginable with the lady that cares for him. 
Rose-breasted Grosbeak. T. J. Rigney 
saw a male at Pittsfield, Mass., May 19, ’83. 
O.&O. Vlll. July. 1883. p. 5 "P. 
Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Dec. 21, 1882 
Jack sang his full notes for the first’time j 
on the 26th sang his canary notes, while 
bunched up like a sick bird, as usual ; sang 
several times through January, and soon 
got into his full notes, and sang as loud as 
ever, it being his fifth year. July 6, when 
in his prime, he was stolen from his cage 
on the piazza. We found him in a bird 
store in the city and bought him back. It 
was a severe strain on him ; he was not so 
lively afterward, but sang up to October. 
To-day, Nov. 22, 1883, he is in as fine con- 
dition as he ever was, but not in song. 
He will consume nearly his full weight in 
^.celery each day, besides his regular feed. 
Rose-breasted Grosbeak. 
‘ BY JOS. M. WADE, BOSTON, MASS. 
My Rose-breasted Grosbeak “Jack,” so often 
mentioned in your columns, commenced bis song 
this year Jan. 28, and within a few weeks was m 
full song, which was continued nearly up to Oc- 
tober, after which he sang considerable, but in a 
lower key. This year he has sung his own notes 
less than ever; in' "fact very little of his own free 
wild notes. But he has been quite a mimic, im- 
itating other birds, but being in a changed tone, it 
was always pleasing. He imitated more particu- 
larly the Wren, the Bluebird and the Song Spar- 
row, and succeeded very well— enough so to 
bring passers-by to a halt to listen. He shed the 
first three long feathers July 13, and continued 
for six weeks or two months, singing all the 
while. His eating capacity is something remark- 
able. It is my impression that there are days in 
which he eats his weight in celery, beside his 
seed and other food. He will eat or drink any- 
thing that he sees the family eating or drinking 
from medicine, beer, liquor, to sour krout. He 
can be persuaded to twitter and trill any time 
during the year. His affectionate performances 
are something remarkable, but lie will not exhib- 
it before st rangers. He eats green peas and opens 
the pods himself, sometimes eating the pods en- 
tire or rather the succulent part. This he always 
does with string beans. Grapes he takes on Ins 
bill and will sometimes hold one on his elevatec 
beak until he has about finished a whole grape 
except the skin. It is always interesting to see 
him place a grape or pea on the perch. e v i 
do it with ease, when it seems impossible. He 
never uses his feet in eating. He is now m his 
seventh year, and has never lost the rose breast 
when putting Outlie female plumage m the >1 a 11. 
He has never been without several kinds of food 
in his cage at the same time. He is now, Nov. 
gradually moulting for his early Spring song. In 
this moult he never sheds his Ions feathers, simp y 
puts on Ills male plumage. The rose breast 
which came with the nest feathers has never 
been changed, except to become slightly speckled 
in tlie Fall. . 
July 3d 1883, he was stolen from Ins cage on 
the piazza when in full song. Several days after- 
wards, I found “ Jack” in a bird store in Boston 
I a sad looking bird. : smg as 
usual, but seemed to take cold and has not sung 
since, although he tries hard and seems to be in 
good health and is in fine plumage. “Jack” is 
a remarkably intelligent bird and blessed with 
a good memory. He is just beginning to moult 
and shows unmistakable signs of age. He is 
perhaps the first Rose Breasted Grosbeak that 
ever spent ten years time in the same cage. — 
Jos. M. Wade. _ „ _ _ TTT . 0 
O.&O. XIII. Aug. 1888 p. 116 
O.&O. Vlll. Nov. 1883. p. * 4 . 
3 £ 
