542 THE BIRDS OF MAINE 



The food consists of beetles, grubs, larvae, flies, moths, 

 butterflies, mosquitoes, gnats, worms and similar insects picked 

 up in the air or on the foliage of trees and bushes. The species 

 is also terrestrial in habits and very frequently indeed descends 

 to the ground to feed and hop about or scratch in the moss or 

 among the leaves. In late fall a certain amount of plant seeds 

 (unidentifiable) are eaten. The song is a characteristic whistled 

 or warbled "tsee tsee tsee tsee tsee tsee tsee" or "peacie peacie 

 peacie peacie peacie." Their call note is a mild "tsip," while 

 their alarm call is a "chip" or "chick" uttered more sharply. 

 The young leave the nest about twelve days after hatching. 

 They are tended and fed by both parents. Nest building 

 must begin ordinarily from the first to the middle of May. 

 While the female is incubating the male sings from some near 

 by tree or bush. 



A nest with four eggs was found in the Bangor Bog by Mr. 

 Durfee on May 30, 1908. A nest with five eggs found by 

 Mr. Spaulding, one with four by Mr. Swain, and one in which 

 the eggs and bird had been destroyed by some animal at 

 Hermon by Mr. Cobb, all on the following day. 



Genus SEIURUS Swainson. 



" 674. Seiurns aurocapillus (Linn.). Oven-bird; Golden- 

 crowned Thrush; Golden-crowned Wagtail Warbler; Golden- 

 crowned Accentator. 



Plumage of adult male : center of crown variously described as olive 

 ochraceous, pale rufous or dull orange ochraceous by various writers ; center 

 of crown bordered on either side by black lines ; wings and tail olive brown, 

 edged with olive green ; center of throat white ; black streak each side 

 of chin ; breast and sides streaked with arrow-like streaks or spots of black ; 

 sides sometimes huffy tinged ; rest of under parts white. Plumage of adult 

 female : in general very similar to that of male and indistinguishable save 

 that on the average the central crown patch may average slightly paler. 

 Immature plumage : above fulvous brown, sparingly spotted with olive 

 brown ; the black lateral crown stripes only faintly indicated ; below pale 

 cinnamon, faintly spotted or streaked on sides of chin, the breast and sides 

 with olive brown; this plumage is changed for the first winter plimiage 

 (very similar to that of adult,) in July. Wing 2.95 ; tail 2.12. 



