134 



LIFE-HISTORIES OF BIRDS 



tomed haunts during succeeding" seasons. Per- 

 haps, the same localities are not always annually 

 visited by particular non-breeding species, which 

 would also tend to numerical variations. 



The Red Poll generally selects a swampy thicket 

 which is more or less open, for the purposes of 

 nidification. The nest is invariably placed upon 

 the ground. The walls are firmly, closely, and 

 tastefully built of an interweaving of fine grasses, 

 small plant-stems, slender strips of bark, Hypmim- 

 and other mosses, exteriorly, with a warm and 

 soft lining of feathers and down. It is usually not 

 large, having a diameter of three and a half inches, 

 a depth of two and a half inches, with the diameter 

 and depth of the cavity but half an inch less. The 

 above is substantially the description given by 

 Dr. Brewer. 



A nest of this bird found by Mr. Kennicott, 

 June 1 8, at Fort Resolution, was built on the 

 ground on a hummock, near the base of a small 

 spruce, in swampy ground, and contained five 

 young birds. 



It, doubtless, breeds in the vicinity of Halifax, 

 its being a summer resident there from May to 

 September. It may possibly breed in the United 

 States, although we can discover no evidence to 

 justify the assertion. 



The eggs are rounded-oval in shape, and 

 blotched chiefly about the larger end with purple, 

 lilac, and reddish-brown spots, blending together 

 upon a yellowish background. They measure .70 

 of an inch in length by .56 in breadth. 



