177 



eggs May 24th, 1873, and another May 25th, 1878, that contained five 

 young birds. 



Dimensions. Average measurements of five specimens : length, 

 11-42; stretch, 12-79; wing, 4-06; tail, 5-03; culmen, -96; gape, 1-31; 

 tarsus, 1-31. 



Family, SAXICOLIDJE. 



8. Sialia stalls, (Linne). COMMON BLUEBIRD. A resident spe- 

 cies ; abundant in summer. The migrants arrive early in February, 

 when they are in. full song, and depart by the first of December. I 

 have found Bluebirds here throughout the coldest winters, as that of 

 1874-75, and they are generally quite numerous in milder ones. They 

 then feed on berries, and what insects they can find. They are nearly 

 silent in severe weather, only uttering a low, soft note, inaudible at 

 a little distance ; and as they leave their perches, when frightened, a 

 queer little chirrup of alarm ; but when the weather is warm they 

 become quite frolicsome, and chase one another, uttering a sharp', 

 rapid twittering, that reminds one of the Kingfisher's rattle. 



They breed abundantly, and several times during the season, build- 

 ing their nests in holes in trees, and in the houses prepared for them ; 

 they always occupy the two pound tomato cans that I have placed for 

 their use about the premises, but from which, however, they are 

 sometimes ejected by those quarrelsome little free hooters the House 

 Wrens. The eggs of their first brood are deposited very early. A 

 nest found April 16, 1872, contained eggs, and again, one was found 

 April 28th, 1873, which contained four eggs. They were building 

 April 18th, 1877, and the young left the nest May 29th. Young were 

 found, about a week old, April 22nd, 1878, and they were incubating 

 the second brood May 22nd. A note in my journal reads as follows : 

 "A pair has constructed its nest in the limb of an old cherry tree, in 

 a hole excavated by a Downy Woodpecker (Picus pubescens) , last win- 

 ter ; its orifice is so small that it is with great difficulty that the bird 

 enters. I saw the male bird feeding the mother at the entrance to 

 their house." 



Dimensions. Average measurements of twelve specimens : length, 

 7-01; stretch, 12-53; wing, 3-93; tail, 2-58; culmen, -47; gape, 75; 

 tarsus, 75. 



Family, SYLVIID^I. 



9. Regulus calendula, (Linne). RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET. 

 Abundant during the migrations. Arrives about the middle of April 

 (April 23, 1873; 7, 1874; 15, 1875; 17, 1876; 13, 1877; 15, 1878), de- 

 parting about the middle of May (May 9, 1874 ; 18, 1875 ; 12, 1876 ; 8, 



ESSEX IN ST. BULL. 3C 14 



