LAND BIRDS. 703 



the forest was not very dense. The nest was nearly finished and was 

 suspended from two hmbs near the trunk of the tree. When next ex- 

 amined, July 21, it contained eight eggs. It was now composed of green 

 ground moss, together with the long gray strands of the tree lichen, and 

 was lined with fur from the Northern Hare. Its dimensions were four 

 inches deep, and four inches in diameter, with a circular opening one and 

 one-half inches in diameter. In the balsam-spruce forest near camp we 

 found a nest containing six young August 10. The structure was placed 

 about thirty feet from the ground and five feet from the top of a tall, 

 slender spruce. Both parents were carr3dng small moths and other insects 

 to the young. This was a late nest, as young Kinglets had been seen early 

 in July. The nest was suspended from a couple of small limbs, was com- 

 posed of gray lichen and green moss, lined with Northern Hare fur, and 

 was considerably larger than the nest previously described, the outside 

 depth being about six inches" (Adams, Rep. Mich. Geol. Surv., 1908, p. 

 383). 



Kumlien and Hollister state that "The Golden-crowned Kinglet breeds 

 along the south shore of Lake Superior in Ontonagon county, Michigan" 

 (Birds of Wisconsin, p. 125), but we are informed by Mr. Hollister that 

 this statement is based solely on the statements of the late Professor 

 Kumlien, and no specific instance is recorded. Mr. William Brewster 

 found the species nesting in Worcester county, Mass., in June 1888, and 

 secured three nests, two of which contained nine eggs each. These nests 

 were placed on or in the horizontal branches of spruces, 50 or 60 feet from 

 the ground, and not far from the tops of the trees. They were composed 

 of green mosses and grayish lichens, lined with delicate strips of inner 

 bark and fine black rootlets, to which were added numerous feathers of 

 the Ruffed Grouse, Hermit Thrush, Oven-bird and others. The nests 

 were open at the top, but deeply hollowed and so over-arched by feathers 

 about the rim of the nest as to almost conceal the eggs. 



These were cream-colored, thinly sprinkled, or speckled with markings of 

 pale brown and lavender, over the entire surface but most thickly at the 

 larger ends of the eggs, the markings so pale, however, that some of the eggs 

 appeared to be unspotted. They average about .56 by .45 inches. Mr. 

 Brewster states that "in both nests the eggs, too numerous to find sufficient 

 space for their accommodation in the bottom of the nest, were piled in 

 two layers one above the other. In the second nest there were five eggs 

 in the lower and four in the upper layer. In the first nest the number 

 of eggs in the two layers was not noted" (Auk, Vol. V, 1888, p. 341). Mr. 

 Brewster describes the song as follows: "The song begins with a succes- 

 sion of five or six fine, shrill, high-pitched, somewhat faltering notes, 

 and ends with a short, rapid, rather explosive warble. The opening notes 

 are given in a rising key, but the song falls rapidly at the end. The whole 

 may be expressed as follows: tzee, tzee, tzee, tzee, ti, ti, ter, ti, ti, ti, ti" 

 (Auk, V, 1888, 343). 



The food of this bird consists almost entirely of insects and their eggs, 

 and it cannot be doubted that it is decidedly beneficial to the farmer and 

 fruit grower. It is often seen eating plant-lice and is a common bird 

 in the orchards during migration, on such occasions spending much time 

 about the opening buds and among the terminal twigs where it collects 

 large quantities of harmful insects. 



