618 THE BIRDS OF MAINE 



twenty-five feet from the ground, and well concealed from 

 observation from below. It was then a mere foundation of 

 mosses, evidently just commenced. The birds were somewhat 

 shy, but I was unable to detect any yellow crown patch on 

 either of them. I made subsequent visits and watched the 

 actions of the birds, becoming fully satisfied that they were 

 really Ruby-crowned Kinglets. On June fifteenth the nest 

 was ready to be lined, and I did not again visit it until June 

 twenty-fourth when it was found deserted, doubtless owing to 

 my too close scrutiny on the previous visit. 



The nest is now in my possession. It was situated near the 

 end of a limb, about eight feet from the main trunk and about 

 twenty-five feet from the ground. It was supported by a 

 number of small twigs which drooped from the limb and was 

 directly under the limb. It is composed of mosses of the 

 various sorts that grow on tree trunks mixed with lichens of 

 the genera, Cladonia, Parmelia and Usnea, Viewed from a 

 distance of a few feet it looks like a green ball of moss. The 

 interior is composed of Usnea longissima, closely interwoven 

 and intimately mixed with feathers and small quantities of 

 moss. The lining is not completed. The nest measures out- 

 side in depth four and inside three inches, while the outside 

 diameter is three and the inside one and a half inches. A few 

 days after taking the deserted nest I visited the same woods 

 and heard the song of the male bird and got a glimpse of 

 them, but failed to locate the nest they were doubtless at work 

 on, and soon lost the birds entirely. This was about four 

 miles from Orono in deep woods. 



Besides the low lisping chatter which the birds utter more 

 or less frequently, the male sings more or less constantly, 

 especially while accompanying the female during the nesting 

 season. The song is quite distinct from that of the Golden- 

 crowned Kinglet, being a warbled series of notes ending always 

 with a strongly emphasized "che-we-we, che-we-we, che-we-we." 

 Occasionally they utter a harsh grating note. Their food is 



