620 THE BIRDS OF MAINE 



body of the tree. It is a beautifully constructed affair, com- 

 posed of soft plant down, fine portions of the flowering pan- 

 icles of Ag-rostis, and covered externally with small rounded 

 fragments of lichens, fastened on with spiders' web, and lined 

 internally with soft down. Its depth outside is two and three- 

 quarters and inside one and a quarter inches, the diameter out- 

 side is two and three-quarters and inside one and a quarter 

 inches. The five eggs measure 0.60x0.48, 0.61x0.49,0.62 

 X 0.48, 0.59x0.47, 0.60x0.48. The eggs are bluish white, 

 speckled and spotted with chestnut, rufous brown and umber. 

 The nest viewed from below would look like a lichen covered 

 knot on a limb. 



Other observers have found nests at various heights from ten 

 to fifty feet up in trees in woods. Both birds are stated to do 

 their full share of building, which seems very probable indeed, 

 as in California I found both the Black-tailed and Western 

 Gnatcatchers to do their full share of work irrespective of sex. 



The song of the Western Gnatcatchers, a mere variety of 

 this species, is a rather nasal " twing-twing-twing-twing-a-ree- 

 a-ree-aree," and I have no doubt that the song of this species 

 under discussion is very similar, and that also like the former 

 they utter a nasal, catlike mew. They are said to live largely 

 if not entirely on insects and insects' eggs, taking many insects 

 on the wing, which I have observed to be the case with the 

 Western Gnatcatcher. 



Family TURDIDiE. Thrushes, Solitaires, Stonechats, 

 Bluebirds, etc. 



Key to the species of TURDIDiE. 



A. Back and tail with more or less azure blue. Bluebird. 



B. No azure blue on back or tail. 



1. Basal portion of the tail feathers white or tips of outer feathers 

 white spotted. 

 §. Tail clove brown to blackish, the outer feathers white tipped. 

 American Robin. 



