OF EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA, 93 



The food of this species as far as we have been 

 able to determine, is principally coleoptera. The 

 accompanying list embraces a few of the commoner 

 kinds: Cratonychus cinereiis, C. pcrtinax, Harpa- 

 lus pensylvanicus, H. compar, Platynus ciipripennis, 

 Rhynchceus pint, BostricJms pint, Chrysomela 

 cceruleipennis, Donacia metallic a and Hal tic a cJia- 

 lybea. Earthworms, cjiptera, and ants, also con- 

 stitute a share of its diet. 



The song is moderately loud and but slightly 

 prolonged. It is a simple monotonous ditty which 

 is uttered with a strong, shrill, and grating intona- 

 tion. The following syllable will convey to the 

 mind a pretty accurate representation of its ex- 

 pression: tsi-tsl-tsi-tsi-tsi-tsi. The whole is sung 

 crescendo, and has an abrupt termination. As the 

 season advances, the foregoing notes become more 

 mellow and warbling; and though feeble, are yet 

 pleasing. It commences to sing from its first ap- 

 pearance in May, and continues its refrains, at 

 brief intervals, until its departure in September. 



The nests of this bird as described by Dr. Brewer, 

 are "strongly and compactly built externally of 

 coarse strips of various kinds of bark, and lined 

 within with hair and fine stems of grasses." In 

 several instances, they have been known to be 

 roofed over after the fashion of the Golden- 

 crowned Thrush. Mr. Nuttall speaks of the nest 

 as being built upon the ground "on the surface of 

 a shelving rock," and constructed of "coarse 

 strips of the inner bark of the Abies canadcnsis 



