OF EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA. 259 



notes are sweet, varied, and mellow, slightly re- 

 sembling the song of C. tristris, but quite distinct 

 from it. 



Its food consists ot the seeds of grasses and 



o 



weeds, together with various berries. In the 

 autumn after its arrival it subsists upon the berries 

 of yutiiperus I'irginiana, J. coninmuis, Lonicem 

 fierielymenuni ; and, later, upon the seeds of Pinus 

 ^strobus, P.inops. Abies nirm, ..-/. canadensis^ Be tula 

 ixcelsa* and B. ni^ra. The eggs and pups of 

 Cratonychus cineretis, C p:ytinax. and the eggs of 

 many of the Apkidte s arid Cc-:-~.id(r. Early in the 

 spring these birds sub;- 1st upon aphides, small 

 spiders, and the larvs of Ar^isof>tc^x -i-c^ncita, A. 

 pometana, and mature forms of the smaller Noc- 

 r:<sidce and Ti;icid&> and Forniica sanguinja. The 

 buds of the maple, apple, and cherry, and the suc- 

 culent cones of various species ot Pinus are 

 eagerly devoured. 



This species does not breed in our midst. 

 According to Dr. Brewer, early in May, 1859, a 

 nest was found in the garden of Prof. Benjamin 

 Feirce in Cambridge, Mass.. by Frederick Ware. 

 Esq. 1 he base of this structure was a mass of 

 loose materials, lower portions of the sides scarcely 

 different, with the upper and inner parts impactly 

 and neatly felted together. Externally, were 

 noticed twigs of Thuja, grasses, carices, fine roots, 

 tine vegetable stalks, ends ot pine twigs, coarse 

 hair, and scraps of wool. Internally, there was a 

 close lining of fine roots of herbaceous plants, and 



