96 



gan, May 10th, 187G, a pair of these birds were observed carrying 

 material for a nest, into a knot-hole in a large oak, about twenty-five 

 feet from the ground. The hole was large enough to admit my hand, 

 and several inches deep, but filled to within two inches of the top by 

 the remains of an old squirrel's nest. The birds worked steadily for 

 about a week, lining th'e cavity with small fragments of dry leaves 

 and pieces of rabbits' fur. Just as the nest was finished a pair of 

 flying squirrels took possession of the premises and the birds sought 

 another location. 



20. S. canadensis Linn. RED-BELLIED NUTHATCH. Rather more 

 numerous early in the migrations than the preceding. April 1st to 

 May 10th, and August 25tli to October 30th. A rare summer resi- 

 dent. I found a pair near Chicago with full grown young the first of 

 July, and Mr. Rice observed a pair feeding unfledged young the last 

 of April, 1874, at Evanston. The excavation containing this nest was 

 in a tree, standing on one of the principal streets of the town. It 

 was about twenty feet from the ground. The young were thrusting 

 their heads out of the hole and clamoring for food, thus attracting his 

 attention Avhen they would otherwise have been unnoticed. 



Family CERTHIIDJE. 

 Genus Certhia Linn. 



21. C. familiaris var. americana Bonap. BROWN CREEPER. 

 Common winter resident, arriving October 1st and remaining until 

 May 10th. Particularly abundant the first two weeks of October and 

 of April, when they frequent the streets of Chicago in large numbers, 

 industriously searching the rough brick walls for the small spiders 

 which they find in abundance in the numerous crevices. I have seen 

 as many as a dozen of these birds upon the side of a house at once, 

 moving from place to place as readily as though on the trunk of a 

 tree. 



Family TROGLODYTIDJE. 

 Genus Thryothorus Vieill. 



22. T. ludovicianus Bonap. GREAT CAROLINA WREN. A rare 

 summer visitant. Abundant in Southern Illinois. 



23. T. bewicki Bonap. BEWICK'S WHEN. Rare summer resi- 

 dent. A pair of these birds appeared in a vacant lot in Chicago the 

 first of June, 1876, and taking possession of a convenient corner in 

 the roof of an arbor proceeded to raise their young. At intervals 

 through the day the male would mount to the top of some house, or 

 the topmost twig of a tree 1 , in the vicinity, and sing for an hour or 

 more. The family suddenly Mt about the middle of July. 



