birds are said to be hatched in June. The male has an
agreeable song, will sometimes sing at night, and in confinement
is said to remain in song nearly the whole of the year.
The Pine Grosbeak is more abundant in the northern parts
of Europe and America than elsewhere, and is-* found in
Sweden, Norway, Lapland, Russia, Siberia, and sparingly
in the north of Germany, but more frequently now than
formerly. According to M. Vieillotj it is a very rare bird in
France,' sometimes..seen, and then only in winter, in those
parts bordering on Germany or Switzerland, where1 there are
abundance of Pine Forests ; -but this bird has been seen as
far south as Provence and Genoa.
North America appears to be the, country in which jthe
habits of the Pine Grosbeak have been more attentively ah-;
served, and to the recent describes "of. the birds of -that ex*
tended region I must refer for particulars. Mr. Audubon
has observed them' in Newfoundland,-'on ..the coast of Labrador,
and at Hudson’s Bay. In the winter of 1836 these
birds were observed as far south as the vicinity, of Philadelphia
; and that season also they were abundant in. the States
of New York and Massachusets. Dr. Richardson saw them,
as far north as the 60th parallel. Mr. Audubon, in his extended
and valuable Ornithological Biography, says.;,?.“ The
flight of thé Pine (grosbeak lisfundulating and smooth; per»
formed in a direct line;when ikis-migrating, at a considerable
height above the forests,, and in groups of from-fivel'to
ten individuals. They alight frequently- during the day,
on such trees as are opening their buds or blossoms. Air
such times they are extremely gentle, and easily approached;
They are exceedingly fond of bathing, and whether 'on the
ground or on branches, move by short leaps. I havé been
much surprised to see, on my having fired, those that were
untouched fly directly towards me until within a few feet,
and then slide off, and alight on the lower branches of the
nearest tree, where, standing as erect as little Hawks, they
gazed upon me, as if I were an object quite new, and of whose
nature they were ignorant. They are easily caught under
snow-shoes put up with a figure of four, around the woodcutters’
camps, in the State of Maine, and are said to afford
.good eating.- Their food consists of the buds and seeds of
almost all sorts of. trees; occasionally,;#^, they seize a
passing insect. I -once knew ohe 'of these sweet songsters;
'which in the evening,; as soon 'ast-the lamp was lightedrin the
room where-its cage was hung;; wo^d,-instantly tune its voice
ariew.”
• A friend _of Mr. A u d u from ^ # “ I received a male in
splendid plumage,1 buteb'* emaciated .that, h ©-'seemed little else
than a mass of feathers.; Byv;cautfi® feeding,.however, he:
scorn regained-:his flesh,; andvhecam.e-‘So;tame as to eat- from
my hand without the least:appearance ^S&ar; To, reconcile
him gradually to confinement,i#Rwas permitted to fly about
my-bedroom; and upbh,fs rising t in the^dmoming,, the. first
ifching* I-flid:waiito, 'giYe hftn a ^ sm * q u a n t t^ ^ e e 4 ^ But
three mdrnings in successions I happenedidodiis rather, later
than usual,, and each morning L was-; a x q u sed v .l/^ th ^ ird
fluttering, upon iny^l|ouldeiv fc anA calling for his usual allowance;
' The third morning, I allowed him ta fluttei’iaboufi-me
some: time? before showing any .symptom Ofi> being awake;
he" no ^/sobnew observed'that „his .^bjeet, waSfjeJ^qted- than
he? retired to the window, and waited- spatiently untu||j| arose.
As the spring approachedj^^Oiiased sfo; Whistle occasionally in
the morning, and his ®rotes:were’xbxeeedihgly rich and full.
About tbe time, however, when thevsp^i|4^egan to remove
io the North, hi»- former famiUarity.ehtirely disappeared.'!
Mr; AuduBon further s a y s » While in the .state pfLMaine, I
observed th a t‘th f e h ir d s when travelling fly in silence, and
aY^considerable height-above the te e s ,,, T&ey alight on the
topmost branches,ijsd that it is difficult to obtain them, unless