LANIin.T-: — THK SlllUKKS. 423 



April. At i^nn T)ie<,'n tlicy iicstt'il hUn; uliont Ajuil 20. Ho .speaks of their 

 singing iis an attempt at a smiji, tlie nutes being liaisli, like tliose of a Jay, 

 ijut not imitative. Tliey cateli birds, but ilo so very rarely, depending ujion 

 grasslioppers and other inseels. 



Tile ne.sts ol' tlie (.iriihif(>f()l(fi.'<,>n> far as I have iiad any oi)])ortunity to ex- 

 amine them, always exhibit a very marked eontrast, in tiie elaborateness of 

 their structure, t(,> any of tlie liiduvind mix lUnt liave i'allen under my notice. 

 They re.send)le those of the buiralis in their size and the felted nature of their 

 walls, but are more coarsely and ru(Udy jait together. They liave an external 

 iliameter of about eight inidies, ami i height of four. The cavity is also 

 large and deep. These nests are alwiiy,' constructed with much artistic skill 

 and jiains. Tiie base is usually a chisely impacted ma.ss of hue grasses, lichens, 

 mosses, and leaves, intermingled with stout dry twig.H. Upon iliis is wrouglit 

 a strong fuln'ic of tine wood-mo.sses, tlaxen hbres of |)lants, leaves, gra.s.ses, fur 

 of quadrui)eds, and other substances. Intertwined witii these are a sullicient 

 number of slentler twigs and stems of phmts to give to tiie wiiole a remark- 

 able strength and llrmness. This is otten still further strengthened by an 

 external protection woven of stouter twigs and small ends of brandies, 

 stems, etc. The whole is tiien thoroughly and warmly lined with a soft 

 matting of the fur of several kinds of small animals, vegetable down, and a 

 few feathers. 



The eggs, five or six in number, measure 1.01) l)y .7."'> of an inch, and strongly 

 resemble tho.se of both the hornilU and the hiihiriridiui^. Their ground-color 

 is pale greenish-white, over wiiicli are marks and l)lotclies, more or less con- 

 fluent, of lilac, purplish-brown, and ligiit umber. 



Mr. liidgway, who is familiar with tiiis liird in .Southern Illinois, informs 

 me that in that section it is a resident species, being abundant during the 

 summer and by no means rare in the winter. It is there, strangely enough, 

 often called tlie Alockiiig-Uird, its similar a])pearauce and fondness for the 

 same locality leading some itersons to confound the.se very different birds. 

 In districts where tlie true Miimta is not common, young birds of this species 

 are freiiuently taken from their nests and innocently sold to unsuspecting 

 admirers of tiiat highly apjireciated songster. 



This bird iniiabits, almost exclusively, open situations, being particularly 

 fond of waste fields where young honey-locusts {GMilxcliia (rinrmitJios) have 

 grown up. Among their thorny brandies its nests are almost utterly inac- 

 cessilile, if beyond the reacii of jioles. In sudi localities this bird may often 

 be seen perched in an upright iiositioii upon some thorn-bush, or a fence- 

 stake, (|uietly watdiing for its jn-ey, remaining nearly an hour at a time 

 motionless excejit for an occasional movtMiicnt of the head. 



The flight of this bird, Mr. liidgway adds, is quite peculiar, utterly unlike 

 that of any other bird except the OreonropfCH vioiif(nni>i, which it only slightly 

 resembles. In leaving its ])erch it sinks nearly to the ground, describing a 

 curve as it descends, and, passing but a few feet above the surface, ascends in 



