212 LIFE-HISTORIES OF BIRDS 



the principal thoroughfares of towns and cities, 

 where its agreeable notes may be heard among 

 the foliage, of the maple, and other trees. It only 

 occasionally nidificates in such places, from which 

 we infer that it is only attracted thither by the 

 necessity of food-stuffs. A nest, however, came 

 into our possession lately which was found sus- 

 pended from a maple twig in a densely-populated 

 portion of our city. 



In this neighborhood it nidificates almost entirely 

 in thick woods. Its appropriate food-stuffs being 

 more abundant in those places, it is natural to 

 infer that it would resort therefor the purposes of 

 nidincation. There are, doubtless, a few cases 

 where building is performed close by occupied 

 human dwellings, which the birds in their migra- 

 tions would revisit under the spur of past associa- 

 tions. If nests exist in this latitude, in such places 

 we are not aware of the fact. 



In the pursuit of food wjiich is chiefly insects, 

 this species, in some particulars, resembles the 

 Kinglets, and in others, the Flycatchers. It oc- 

 cupies the tallest tree-tops where it may be see'n 

 running along the branches, and mingling among 

 the leaves, for whatever of insect-life abounds. 

 When not thus engaged we have seen it perched 

 upon a branch on the alert for insects which it 

 would seize with the address of a Muscicapa. 



Their food consists of various arachnids, cynips, 

 diptera in their larval and perfect stages, hymenop- 

 tera, lepidoptera, and small beetles. Among dip- 



