BUNTINGS 443 



Knox; rare migrant, (Rackliff). Oxford; fairly common summer resident, 

 (Johnson). Penobscot; not very common summer resident southward, 

 slightly more frequent northward, (Knight). Piscataquis; summer resident, 

 not common, (Homer). Sagadahoc; not common, seen in June, (Spinney). 

 Somerset; rare summer resident, (Morrell); slightly more frequent in north- 

 ern section, (Knight). Waldo ; rare summer resident, (Knight). Washing- 

 ton; not uncommon summer resident, (Boardm.an). York; quite abundant, 

 breeds, (Adams). 



The migration dates given by Mr. Brown as about May 

 fourteenth to twenty-third for time of arrival and September 

 eleventh as time of departure seem to cover the situation very 

 completely. The species is of very peculiar local distribution 

 in sections outside of Androscoggin, Franklin, Cumberland, 

 York and Oxford Counties, as while in the portions of these 

 counties comprising in general southwestern Maine the species 

 is rather common, it is elsewhere local. Though not anywhere 

 as near a common species as the Rose-breasted Grosbeak, its 

 local distribution in the northern portion of the State is along 

 about the same general territory. 



The species prefers bushy clearings, low second growth 

 thickets and old pastures. The male sings constantly, and 

 while the song is not unpleasing it lacks loudness and impress- 

 iveness, being in fact rather " warbler-like " in many ways. 

 There is a peculiar nervous habit of twitching tail and wings 

 as they perch on the bush tops and spring from one to the 

 other, which is also " warbler-like," while the "chip" of alarm 

 is similar to that of a Warbler. 



The nest is placed in thick bushes in the pastures and clear- 

 ings, usually not over four to eight feet from the ground. A 

 typical nest was placed in a blackberry bush one foot from the 

 ground, and was composed of leaves, fine bark strips and 

 vegetable fibers, lined with wool and grass. The depth of the 

 nest outside was two and a half and inside two inches, while 

 the diameter outside was three and a quarter and inside two 

 and a half inches. Four eggs of the Bunting and one of the 

 Cowbird were found; the Cowbird's egg measures 0.90x0.65, 



