576 THE BIRDS OF MAINE 



or thereabout, to the last of October. Near Bangor they 

 occur approximately the same time in the fall. Spring records 

 are very few and far between but I find one date recorded for 

 Castine, May 2, 1903, and two or more records of May 12 

 for Avon, and in addition Mr. Norton's one of May 15, 1889, 

 for Westbrook. It is very evident that in the spring migra- 

 tion the birds either pass over the State without alighting or 

 being seen, or else they pass northward by some different migra- 

 tion route from that they follow in the fall. Which of these is 

 the case there is not sufficient data at hand at present to show. 



In the fall the birds feed in flocks in the grassy fields, 

 meadows and pastures. At the approach of somebody they 

 run through the grass, stopping occasionally to wag their tails 

 and twitch their wings, finally taking fright and rising into 

 the air together to fly away with their soft characteristic cry 

 " pee-pee, pee-pee." This cry is kept up more or less con- 

 stantly as they fly and often also uttered while on the ground. 

 Their food consists of the various insects and seeds picked up 

 in the grassy tracts they love to frequent. 



In their northern homes their nests are said to be placed on 

 the ground, and to be composed of dry grasses and moss 

 rather loosely constructed. Four to six eggs are said to be 

 laid and these are variously described as bluish or grayish 

 white, thickly and evenly specked with cinnamon and vinaceous 

 brown, or as dark chocolate colored, overlaid with specks and 

 streaks of grayish brown. The average measurement is given 

 by Davie as 0.76 x 0.56. 



Family TROGLODYTID^. Wrens, Thrashers, etc. 



Key to the species of TROGLODYTID^. 



A. Tail without black bars ; birds 9.00 in length or more. 



1. Crown black. Catbird. 



2. Crown not black. 



§. Under parts whitish or white and unstreaked ; outer tail feathers 

 white. Mockingbird. 



