598 THE BIRDS OF MAINE 



(Nash). Penobscot; very common fall migrant, rare in summer and also 

 very rare in winter, (Knight). Piscataquis; common resident, (Homer). 

 Sagadahoc; (Spratt). Somerset; not common resident, (Morrell). Waldo; 

 resident, not common save in fall, (Knight). Washington; rare, breeds, 

 (Boardman); quite numerous in spring of 1904, (Clark). York; not very 

 common, (Adams). 



The species in question seems generally distributed as a 

 resident all over the State, though in general it seems uncom- 

 mon save in a few localities as a permanent resident, being 

 only really common in most localities in the fall migration and 

 less so in spring. Perhaps the species is more readily noticed 

 in the fall when it is associated with the Chickadees, Kinglets, 

 Creepers, Red-breasted Nuthatches and allied birds in a loosely 

 scattered, noisy, roving flock, venturing out into more open 

 civilized localities. In the spring and summer they are birds 

 of the woods, frequenting the denser hardwood growths, rich 

 woods, mixed growth, and more seldom evergreen woods. In 

 the fall and winter they are found in the more open woods, 

 groves, and in orchards and wayside trees to a less degree. 

 Here they may be seen running up and down a tree, backing 

 or going ahead or sideways indiscriminately, head up or head 

 down, on the trunk or under side of a limb, seemingly careless 

 as to the position they take. A nasal " quank, quank, quank, 

 quank " is uttered more or less frequently. In the breeding 

 season they utter a peculiar, monotonous pitched " hah-hah- 

 hah-hah-hah-hah." 



The nests are generally excavated in hard wood trees, a hole 

 being dug in the dead limb of a living tree or in a dead tree or 

 stub. Often the deserted hole of a Woodpecker or some nat- 

 ural cavity is occupied. This is lined with fine bark strips, 

 leaves, hair and feathers. 



Five to ten, more often six or seven eggs are laid. These 

 are white, thickly and rather evenly spotted with reddish 

 brown and lavender, or in some types the markings are more 

 congregated about the larger ends. A set of seven in my 

 collection was taken from a nest in a maple tree, eighteen feet 



