400 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



coiitiiiiu'd fivo pfrss. Tt is of rciiiiirkaUlo sizo in |)ro])()rtioii to that of its 

 Imilder, iiiu<isuriii,i,' oi^iil iiiclics in iliaiiit'ter. It is lliitteiieil in shape, and 

 its cavity, though hirgo, is not dnep. Tiio height of the nest is three and a 

 (quarter inelies, anil the depth of tlie base is fully two and a lialf inciies. The 

 eavity is less than an ineh deej), and is four inches in diameter. Tlu; base 

 and (uiter periphery of thi.s nest arc of a coarse interlacing of the small ends 

 of l)ranches of fir and sjiruce trees. Within this is built a. close, comjtact 

 inner nest, chieHy conijiosed of a lichen 2)eculiar to Arctic regions, called 

 tree-hair, which liangs abundantly iVom the brandies of trees in northern 

 forests. It resembles a mass of delicate black rootlets. These are not un- 

 common ingredients in the nests of northern birds, esjjecially of European. 

 In America, Arctic nests of the .1. ciirulinciifiis are occasionally built of simi- 

 lar materials. With these lichens are also mingled fragments of dry leaves 

 and soft dark-colored mosses. The rim of the nest is strongly made, almost 

 exclusively of these tine dark- colored lichens. This kind of liciieu is not 

 always black, but is often l»rown, and even whitish. In some of these 

 nests sih cry fibres of grass-leaves are mingled with the lichens, and in one 

 or two there is a slight lining of feathers. 



The Lai)land nests were built on the branch of a tree, at a distance from 

 the trunk, and stood up from it unsupported by the surrounding twigs, and 

 at the height of from si.v to twelve I'eet from the ground. They were gener- 

 ally much exposed, and were, for the most jiart, built in the more open por- 

 tions of tlie forests. The general nundier of the eggs Wiis five, in one 

 instance it was six. 



Tlie nest from the Yukon, obtained l>y Mr. Kennicott (S. Coll., 0,326), is 

 smaller, and bears but little resemblance to the Kuropean. It is but five 

 inches in diameter, of irregular sliape. In height and cavity it nearly cor- 

 responds. In place of the lichens of tht! Kuropean, this nest is made of fine 

 gra«s-stems, strijis of liark, and a few feathers. 



The eggs of this bird, the gift of ^Ir. WoUey, measure an inch in length, 

 and from .70 to .07 of an inch in breadtii. Their ground-color varies from a 

 light slate to a yellowish stone-eolor. Tiiey are marked, blotched, and dotted 

 witli spots of various hues and size. These are chiefly of a dark jnirple, at 

 times ajiproaching black. Mingled with these are markings of a yeUowish- 

 brown. Nearly all these spots are surrounded by a jteculiar iieiiumlira, or 

 shading, such as forms so marked a feature in the eggs of the common 

 Cedar-lJird. 



The egg obtained by Kennicott on t' Yukon is smaller than the EuiO- 

 pean sjieiiiinen, measuring .90 by .65 of an inch. Its ground is more of a 

 greenish-slate or stone-color, and the spots are of a dark brown, with a deep 

 violet shading. 



