temperate zone. The color and form of the two birds are again
essentially the same. The females and young males of both species are
of a grayish brown like the sparrow, while in the old males this tint
is imperfectly hidden beneath a coat of carmine, as if the color had
been poured upon their heads, where it is strongest, and so oozed down
and through the rest of the plumage. Their tails are considerably
forked, their beaks cone-shaped and heavy, and their flight undulating.
Those who have heard the grosbeak describe its song as similar to that
of the finch, though no doubt it is louder and stronger. The finch's
instrument is a fife tuned to love and not to war. He blows a clear,
round note, rapid and intricate, but full of sweetness and melody. His
hardier relative with that larger beak and deeper chest must fill the
woods with sounds. Audubon describes its song as exceedingly rich and
full.

As in the case of the Bohemian waxwing, this bird is also common to
both worlds, being found through Northern Europe and Asia and the
northern parts of this continent. It is the pet of the pine-tree, and
one of its brightest denizens. Its visits to the States are irregular
and somewhat mysterious. A great flight of them occurred in the winter
of 1874-75. They attracted attention all over the country. Several
other flights of them have occurred during the century. When this bird
comes, it is so unacquainted with man that its tameness is delightful
to behold. It thrives remarkably well in captivity, and in a couple of
weeks will become so tame that it will hop down and feed out of its
master's or mistress's hand. It comes from far beyond the region of the
apple, yet it takes at once to this fruit, or rather to the seeds,
which it is quick to divine, at its core.

Close akin to these two birds, and standing in the same relation to