Wilson met with occasional specimens of these birds in the vicinity of Philadelphia, generally in immature plumage, and kept one several months, to note any change in its plumage. In the summer it lost all its red colors
and became of a greenish-yellow. In May and June, its song, though not so loud as that of some birds, was extremely clear, mellow, and sweet. This song it warbled out for the whole morning, and also imitated the notes of a Cardinal, that hung near it. It became exceedingly tame and familiar, and when in want of food or water, uttered a continual melancholy and anxious note.
In the winter of 1835, and for several following seasons, these birds were exceedingly abundant in the vicinity of Boston. They appeared early in December, and remained until quite late in March, feeding chiefly on the berries of the red cedar. They were so unsuspecting and familiar that it was often possible to capture them alive in butterfly-nets, and to knock them down with poles. Large numbers were destroyed and brought to market, and many were taken alive and caged. They were tame, but unhappy in confinement, uttering mournful cries as the warm weather approached. In the winter of 1869-70 they again made their appearance in extraordinary numbers, in a few localities on the sea-coast of Massachusetts, where they did considerable damage to the fruit-buds of the apple and pear.
Sir John Richardson states that this bird was not observed by his expedition higher than the 60th parallel. It lives, for the most part, a very retired life, in the deepest recesses of the pine forests, where it passes the entire year, having been found by Mr. Drage, near York Fort, on the 25th of January, 1747. Richardson adds that it builds its nest on the lower branches of trees, and feeds chiefly on the seeds of the white spruce.
Dr. Coues speaks of it as not at all rare along the coast of Labrador, where he obtained several specimens. It was confined entirely to the thick woods and patches of scrubby juniper. A female remained unconcernedly on a twig after he had shot her mate, uttering continually a low soft shep, like that of the Fox-colored Sparrow. Another note was a prolonged whirring chirrup, uttered in a rather low tone, apparently a note of recognition.
A lady resident in Newfoundland informed Mr. Audubon that she had kept several of these Grosbeaks in confinement, that they soon became very familiar, would sing during the night, feeding, during the summer, on all kinds of fruit and berries, and in the winter on different seeds. Mr. Audubon also often observed that, when firing at one of their number, the others, instead of flying away, would move towards him, often to within a few feet, and remain on the lower branches of the trees, gazing at him in curiosity, entirely unmingled with any sense of their own danger. Mr. Audubon quotes from Mr. McCulloch, of Pictou, an interesting account of the habits of one of these birds, kept in confinement. The winter had been very severe, the storms violent, and, in consequence of the depth of snow, many birds had perished from hunger and cold. The Grosbeaks, driven from the woods, sought food around the barns and outhouses, and crowded the streets of Pictou. One of these, taken in a starving condition, soon became so tame as to feed from his hand, lived at large in his chamber, and would awaken him
early in the morning to receive his allowance of seed. As spring approached, he began to whistle in the morning, and his notes were exceedingly rich and full. As the time came when his mates were moving north, his familiarity entirely disappeared, and he sought constantly, by day and by night, to escape by dashing against the window-panes, and during the day filled the house with his piteous wailing cries, refusing his food, so that in pity he was let out. But no sooner was he thus released than he seemed indifferent to the privilege, and kept about the door so persistently that he had at last to be driven away, lest some accident should befall him.
The Pine Grosbeaks were found by Bischoff at Sitka and at Kodiak, and are said by Mr. Dall to be extremely common near Nulato, and wherever there are trees throughout the Yukon Territory. They frequent groves of willow and poplar, near open places, and especially the water-side in winter, and in summer seek more retired places for breeding. Their crops, when opened, were always found to contain the hearts of the buds of poplars, with the external coverings carefully rejected, and were never found to include anything else. Mr. Dall noticed no song, only a twitter and a long chirp. He found them excellent as an article of food. European eggs of this bird, taken by Mr. Wolley in Finland in 1858, are of an oblong-oval shape, and have a light slate-colored ground with a marked tinge of greenish, broadly marked and plashed with faint, subdued cloudy patches of brownish-purple, and sparingly spotted, chiefly at the larger end, with blackish-brown and dark purple. They measure 1.02 inches in length by .70 in breadth.
No positively identified eggs of the American Pine Grosbeak are as yet known in collections, but Mr. Boardman has found a nest, near Calais, about which there can be little doubt, although the parent was not seen. This was placed in an alder-bush in a wet meadow, and was about four feet from the ground. It was composed entirely of coarse green mosses. The eggs were two, and were not distinguishable from those of the European enucleator.
Genus PYRRHULA, Pallas.