$()() nil'', iiiiins OK MAiNK 



more" ^^rayiHli diiHky, ti|i|ic(l hiondly with wliiU-, otlicrwiso as in udult. Wing 

 5.65; ciilnu-ii O.'X,; tail i>.2U. 



Vivny,. Disl. KuHtcni liMuiM-ralo Ninlli Aiuorica, brocdiiin from Florida to 

 New Kninswii'k, and went to llie IMaiim; wiiitcr» in Central and Suuth 

 America liontli to CubIu Rica and in the West Indies. 



('ounty Uecoitis. AndroscoupMn ; rare suninu-r rt'Hid«'nt, (Stanton), ('uni- 

 berland ; rar<' suninu-r resident, ( Itrown, ('. H. I'. |i. 20). Ilancork ; one taken 

 at Itar Ihirlxir i)y !<!. Cordon, (K. Sniilli). Oxford; visitant, (Nash). Wnsh- 

 in).^lon; aci idt-nliil, ( Itoardnian ). 



This species is m very riire siiininei- lesidenl ol llie soiltliwesl- 

 erii pari of llir Slulc iiiid r 1st' where occurs hs n mere slrn|^f.^ler. 

 'IMicy arrive ahoiil May IS, aiul as nearly as caii he judged arc 

 j^oiie hy Aw^iisl. 'I'he call is a s|)Msiiio(lic "kiik kiik kiik cook" 

 or a "kow kow kow kow" Mlleretl wilii varyiiifr luiinhers of 

 rc|)clitioiis. 



They usiiall}' maki' I heir iiesl.s in thickets of alders, willows, 

 hrier patches and low dense hushy thickets alon^ streams or 

 aloiif^ roadsides, |.^eneially not more than tiv«' or six hut, soiuc- 

 tiines even ten or twelve feel from the {ground. 



'I'he nest is a platform of sticks, lined with calkins and tlry 

 partially sk<'letoni/,ed leaves. 'V\\r cf^gs are three to five in 

 numher, pale greenish blue in c«>l«»r, avera<;inf^ both larger and 

 lighter colored than eggs of the HIack hilled species. A nest 

 sent nil' IVtnii Massachusetts contains threi' eggs and was taken 

 at Hiadlor*!, . I line |), I.Si)r). This nest was huilt on a founda- 

 lion of a few twigs and lined with catkins of Sa/i.v (li.srolor, 

 Sdli.r hthhiantt and the «lry skeletonized leaves of oak, maple 

 and linden. This nest was alxnit three inches deep outside, 

 seven inches ai'i«»ss the top, and nearly Hat, the hollow for the 

 eggs heiiig not more than one tourth inch. The eggs measured 



i.!v'() xO.sd, 1 .;2r) X O.St;, i.j^f) x o.si). 



Their chief food in spring anil summer is caterpillars anil 

 thev eat hundreds of such things as the lent caterpillar, tussock 

 moth caterpillar, mourning cloak hulterlly larva' and similar 

 species, also heetles, moths grasshoppers, crickets and many of 

 the softer fruits such as raspberry, blackberry, etc. 



