264 NDirni amkimcax hihd.s. 



In the vicinity of J'.ostcu, es])eciaily in tiu! lijnli j^nouncla oi' Xortblk and 

 Ks.si'x (.'oiintii's, it i.s u not unu()niin(jii sjiccics, iiud its ne.st.s are tuiiii(l in cer- 

 tain lnv(i!ite localities. .Niittall re-^ards .May 12 as tliu average of ...eir first 

 appearance. l'.u.sy, ([uiet, and iinsus])icious of man, they were seen liy him, 

 collecting, in early OcUjher, in small groups, and moving restlessly through 

 the forests prcjiaratory to dejiarting .soutli. June <S, 183(1, he found a nest 

 of this species in a s(ditary situation among the Mlue Hills of Milton, Mass. 

 The nest was in a low and stunted Juniper (a very unusual location). As 

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

 such a manner as to be mistaken for a young bird. She then darted to tlie 

 gr.;und, and, moving away expertly, di.sapiieared. TJie nest contained four 

 eggs, which he describes as wliitc inclining to flesh-color, variegated at the 

 larger end with pale purplish points interspersed with lirownand bhick. Tiie 

 nest was formed of line strips of tlie inner liark of the juniper, and tough white 

 librous bark of other i)lants, lined with .soft feathers and tlie .slender to])s of 

 grass. The male ))ird was singing his simjile cliant, rcscndiling the .syllaliles 

 fe-i/e-tr,it.se-(i,]mnHnu)i^ed loud and slow, at the distance of a (piarirr of a mile 

 from the nest. He describes his song as simjde, drawling, and jdaintive. He 

 was constantly interrujjting his song to catch small flics, keeping up a per- 

 l)etual snapping of Ids bill. 



Several nests of this l)ird,given me by 'Sir. ( Jeorge O. "Welch of Lynn, have 

 ))eeu found by him in high trees in thick woods on the western Iwrders of 

 that city. They are all small, snug, com])act structures, liuilt on a l)ase of 

 line stri]is of bark, I)its of leaves, and stems of jilants. The u]i])er rims are 

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

 .stems of the most tlelicat.' gras.ses. The inner pijrtions of these nests are 

 very softly and warndy redded with the line down and silky stems of 

 ])lants. They have a diameter of three and a quarter inches, and a lieight of 

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

 in depth. The eggs measure .7(1 l)y .oO of an incii, have a widte or jairjdi.sh- 

 white giound, and are blotched and dotted with markings of reddish and 

 l>urplish brown, dilfu.sed over the entire egg, but more numerous about the 

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



