264 NOliTlI AMKinCAN [JIKDS. 



Ill the vicinity o\' Txtstoii, es]>eciallv in tlit* liiiili 'jiounds of Xort'olk and 

 Essex Coiintii's, it is a not uiiconinion s|K'cii*s, and its nests are tound in cer- 

 tain tavoiite localities. Xuttall re^^ards May 12 as the average of their first 

 ai)])earaiice. Husy, (jiiiet, and nnsus})icious of man, they were seen hy him, 

 collectiiiLT, in early October, in small grou]>s, and moving restlessly throngh 

 the fniests ]trej)aratoiy to de]iarting south, dune 8, 183(>, he found a nest 

 of this species in a solitary situation among the lUue Hills of Milton, Mass. 

 The nest was in a low and stunted Juni})er (a very unusual locatioii). As 

 he approached, the female remained motionless on the edge of the nest, in 

 such a manner as to he mistaken for a young hird. She then darted to the 

 ground, and, moving away expert^ - disappeared. The nest contained lour 

 eggs, which he descril>es as white 'iiiiig to flesh-color, variegated at the 



larger end with pale purplish points intei's[)erse(l with hrowii and black. The 

 nest was formed of line strii)S of the inner hark (tf the juniper, and tough white 

 lihrous hark of other plants, lined with soft feathers and the .slender toj)S of 

 grass. The male hird was singing his simple chant, resemhling the syllables 

 /e-f/e-^z/As^'-r/, ])ronounced loud and slow, at thedistance of a (piarter of a mile 

 from the nest. He describes his song as sim]»le, drawling, and jilaintive. He 

 was constantly interrii])ting his song to catch small tlies, keeping up a per- 

 j)etual snapping of his bill. 



Several nests of this bird, given me hv Mr. (leorge O. Welch of Lvnn. have 

 been found by him in high trees in thick woods on the western borders of 

 that city. They are all small, snug, com])act structures, laiilt on a ha.se of 

 line strips of bark, hits of leaves, and stems of jilants. The u])])er rims are 

 a circular intertwining of tine slender twigs, interwoven with a few tine 

 .stems of the most delicate grasses. The inner portions of these nests are 

 very softly and warmly Ijedded with the tine d(jwii and silky stems of 

 plants. They have a diameter of three and a quarter inches, and a height of 

 one and a half. The cavity is two inches in diameter, and one and a half 

 in de]>th. The eggs measure .7n l)y .50 of an inch, have a white or jairplish- 

 white i,T<Mnid, and are bhjtched and dotted with markings of reddish and 

 purplish brown, diffused over the entire e^^fi:, but more numerous about the 

 larger end. One end is much more pointed than the other. 



