PINE SISKIN. 45 



Nests and Eggs. Nests placed in trees. They are flat, 

 bulky structures composed of stripes of bark and weed stalks, 

 lined with down from willow catkins. Eggs, three or four in 

 number, oval in form, bluish white in color, dotted very spar- 

 ingly near the large end, with black and lilac and usually 

 marked with with lines of the same colors. 



General Habits. The Pine Siskin is an irregular winter 

 visitor as far south as Massachusetts, but is a constant resi- 

 dent in northern New England, It comes to us in large 

 flocks during certain winters, its visit evidently being regulated 

 by the food supply north of us, and even extending its migra- 

 tion at times as far south as southern Florida. When with 

 us, it feeds largely upon seeds of the white birch, and also 

 associates with the Goldfinches and Red-polls in the weed 

 fields, in order to gather seeds there. 



It has been known to breed twice in Massachusetts. Once, 

 at Cambridge in early May, 1859. It also nests in June, and 

 and sometimes as late as August, hence, we may suppose that 

 its breeding time is, as in allied species, regulated by the ripe- 

 ning of the seeds of certain plants upon which it feeds its 

 young. 



SoNvj. The Pine Siskin has a note when flying, and a call 

 when it wishes to attract the attention of its companions, 

 which resembles quite closely the same sounds produced by 

 the Goldfinch, but those given by the Pine Siskin, are harsher 

 or more husky in tone, and the same is true of the song. 



