OF EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA. 119 



and blossoms of trees. The accompanying list 

 will convey a brief though meagre idea of the 

 essential articles of diet during its restricted stay : 

 Chrysomela formosa, Cymindis viridipennis> Bostri- 

 chus pini, Harpalus compar, Cratonychus cinereus, 

 Platynus cupripennis, Donacia metaliica, among 

 coleoptera; the smaller ants, Selandria rosce, Apis 

 mellifica, and Lophyrusabietis, among hymenoptera; 

 aphides, diptera, and larvae of many of the Phalce- 

 noidce, which appear during its stay. 



This species was regarded by Wilson as ex- 

 ceedingly rare, and so far eluded the observation 

 of Audubon as to prevent him from describing 

 its habits. Mr. Nuttall noticed its passage through 

 Massachusetts, about the i5th of April. 



It breeds in northern latitudes, eggs having been 

 obtained by Mr. George Bush, at Coldwater, near 

 Lake Superior; by Maynard, it is considered the 

 most abundant of the Sylvicolidce at Lake Umbagog 

 where he discovered it breeding. 



Nidification commences according to the last 

 named authority, in June; a nest having been found 

 on the 3rd, just completed in a tree, alongside of a 

 cart-path, in a thicket. This was placed upon a hori- 

 zontal branch of ahemlock,at an elevation of twenty 

 feet above the ground. Another was built in a 

 similar locality, but fifteen feet from the soil. These 

 fabrics were unnecessarilylarge and bore a close 

 resemblance to those of Carpodacus purpureus* 

 Exteriorly they were composed of slender twigs 

 of the hackmatack, with an intermingling of long 



