FIN CHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 313 
     
    
   
   
    
     pathize, pitying the man whose heart does not leap with enthusiasm 
     
     at the sight of rival males dashing through the woods like winged 
     
     meteors, leaving in their wake a train of sparkling notes. 
     
    
   
   
    
     The BLACK—BEADED GROSBEAK (596‘. Habia melanocepkala), a western 
     
     species, has been recorded from Michigan. 
     
    
   
   
    
     597. Gun-am carulea. (Linn). BLUE Gnosmmx. Ad. 6 .—Deep 
     
     blue; lores and chin black; back blackish; wings and tail black, slightly 
     
     edged with blue; middle wing—coverts widely, and greater coverts narrowly 
     
     tipped with ehestnut-rufous. Ad. 9 .—Uppcr parts grayish brown; in some 
     
     specimens more or less blue about the head and rump and lesser wing-cov- 
     
     erts; rump inclined to ashy; wings fuscous, the greater and middle coverts 
     
     tipped with ochraceous-bufl'; tail fuscous, slightly margined with bluish gray ; 
     
     under parts brownish cream—buff, the feathers of the breast sometimes blue at 
     
     the base. 1m. 6 .—Resembles the 9 . L., 7'00; W., 350; T., 2'75; B., '65. 
     
    

    
     Range.—United States; breeds from about latitude 38° southward into 
     
     Mexico; winters south of our limits. 
     
    

    
     Washington, very uncommon S. R., May 1 to Sept. 30. Cambridge, A. V., 
     
     one instance, May. 
     
    

    
     Nest, of grasses, in bushes or high weedy growths. Eggs, three to four, 
     
     pale bluish white, '84 x ‘65. 
     
    
   
   
    
     “Unless seen under the most favorable circumstances the adult 
     
     male does not appear to be blue, but of an ill-defined, dusky color, and 
     
     may easily be mistaken for a Cow Blackbird (Molot/wus ater), unless 
     
     most carefully watched ; besides, they usually sit motionless, in a 
     
     watchful attitude, for a considerable length of time, and thus easily 
     
     escape observation. 
     
    

    
     “The Blue Grosbeak frequents much the same localities as those 
     
     selected by the Indigo Bird and Field Sparrow—viz., the thickets of 
     
     shrubs, briers, and tall weeds lining a stream flowing across a meadow 
     
     or bordering a field, or the similar growth which has sprung up in an 
     
     old clearing. The usual note is a strong, harsh ptchick, and the song 
     
     of the male is a very beautiful though rather feeble warble, somewhat 
     
     like that of the Purple Finch, but bearing a slight resemblance also to 
     
     that of the Rose-breasted Grosbeak” (Ridgway). ‘ 
     
    
   
   
    
     598. Passerlna. cyanea, (Lima). INDIGO BUNTING; INDIGO-BIRD. 
     
     Ad. 6 .—Rich blue, deeper on the head, brighter on the back; lores blackish; 
     
     wings and tail black, margined with blue. Ad. 9.—Upper parts uniform 
     
     grayish brown without streaks; wings and tail fuscous, sometimes lightly 
     
     margined with bluish; wing-coverts margined with grayish brown; under 
     
     parts whitish, washed with grayish brown and indistinctly streaked with 
     
     darker; belly whiter. Im.—Rcsembles the 9 , but is darker. Ad. 6 in win— 
     
     ter.—-Resembles the 9 , but has more or less blue in the plumage. L., 5'59; 
     
     W., 2'58; T., 2'11; 3., '41.