68 
ORNITHOLOGIST 
()RNIT1I()L()(;IST 
—AND — 
OOL OGIS r 
A MONTHLY MAGAZINK DKVOl'KI) 
TO THE STOUY OF UIKDS, THKIll NESTS AND EGOS. 
JOS. iH. n’AOF:, Hilitftr, 
S. L. WILLARD, Assistant. 
With the CO operation of able Oriiitiiological 
Writers and Collectors. 
Sdhsckiption —$1.00 per annum. Foreir/n eub 
scription $1.25 —including jMiatage. Speci¬ 
men CopicH Ten Venle. 
JOS. .n. iV.AItK, 
Norivieti, Conn. 
Entered at Norwich P. 0. as Second Clam matter. 
J^niTOUlAIj. 
Rose-breasted Grosbeak. i 
This bird was brought to us with a mate, 
both naked, the last of July, 1878. He was 
named Jack, after a pet Blue Jay that was a 
comical genius, and Jack certainly has not 
been a whit behind his namesake. We often 
wish we had kept a careful record of his pro¬ 
gress and doings, and we now wish we were 
able to describe Jack’s life for the benefit 
of our readers, but as that is not our forte we 
will simply give a synopsis of Jack’s growth 
and doings. From an error in feeding, the 
younger of the two soon died, when bread 
and milk was substituted, on which Jack did 
well. A young lady was spending a few 
weeks at my house and she devoted almost 
her entire time in raising and caring for 
Jack. He was well fed and often taken out 
on the lawn and allowed to pick and ramble 
in the grass. Several times he got into the 
fountain to bathe, but was helped out and 
saved from drowning. He soon got so that 
he would recognize no one but the lady 
who cared so well for him; and when on the 
floor, and siill naked, he would sing a little 
complete song for her at any time when 
asked to do so. riiis lady remained with 
Jack about five weeks, when she left him 
with much regret. She returned again the 
following January when the bird immediate¬ 
ly recognized her. Once her visits were a 
[Vol. 6-No. 9. 
year apart but even then he did not forget 
her; and when the lady visited my house ' 
the present summer, in the city of Norwich, 
Jack bounded across his cage and with de- ■ 
light welcomed her back again. This is 
the more strange as he never made the ac- 
(juaintance of but two persons. He cares 
nothing for the writer although he has been 
with him daily from his birth, and fed him 
fruit, cVc. It is often wondered how birds 
migrate and return again in the spring, but 
when this bird’s memory is taken into con¬ 
sideration the wonder is not so great. 
He got his first feathers during the months 
of August and September, 1878. They were 
those of the female except the breast, and the 
first feathers there were rose colored, inter¬ 
mixed with brown feathers as in the female. 
His first wing and tail feathers were brittle 
and all broke out during the winter. 
He made a complete shedding during 
February and March following 1879, "hen 
his tail and wing feathers again all broke out 
and he commenced his full song in April, 
and stopped as soon as the breeding season 
was over and was perfectly silent until the 
following spring. He did not moult this 
fall, 1879, until September and his feathers 
remained unbroken. He had no sooner got 
through this moult than his spring moult 
commenced, and by February 5th, 1881, he 
commenced his song. 
When first caged he had an Indigo bird 
for a mate, and he has never forgot his song 
and often sings it distinct from his own. 
He also sings the entire notes of a Canary 
which I used to own. The present summer 
a pair of Wrens took up their quarters fora 
week or two near his cage. He was de¬ 
lighted with their company and tried to im¬ 
itate their notes. His first spring notes are 
not full, but as the breeding season arrives 
his notes are full and remarkably sweet. 
He will then sing for hours without an in¬ 
termission. I'hose who have only heard 
this bird in its wild state can form no idea 
of the power of its song when well cared for 
in confinement. No Mocking bird ever cre¬ 
ated the amount of interest this bird has 
