204 Bird -Lore 



tude, and when the young have hatched, her anxiety is still more pronounced. 

 In one instance, the female was frightened from her eggs just as they were 

 about to hatch, and ran along the ground a few yards uttering a plaintive 

 chee-chee-chee in a fine vibrating metallic tone, at the same time dragging her 

 outspread wings and tail on the ground and fluttering as though in mortal 

 agony. 



The nests vary in size, but average about two and three-fourths inches in 

 depth by five inches across the top on the outside, and the central cavity 

 about two inches deep and three inches across the top. The walls are sometimes 

 thick and strong, composed of an abundance of material, or may be a mere 

 cup-shaped shell, barely sufficient to hold the eggs. The majority of nests 

 are composed of rather coarse grass, sometimes with moss interwoven, forming 

 a thick layer, which was frequently found to be as thoroughly water-soaked as 

 a wet sponge. The amount of material used depends greatly upon the locality; 

 in damp places a much greater amount is made use of, while in dry places the 

 nests are much lighter. Though the outer part of the nest is frequently formed 

 of old and often grimy or partly decayed vegetable matter, the interior in- 

 variably contains fine, soft, yellow blades of last year's grasses. These, in 

 many instances, are unmixed with other materials, but are sometimes com- 

 bined with feathers of Ptarmigan or other wild-fowl. In a few cases, the 

 lining of the nests examined by me were made of a warm cup of feathers 

 inclosed in fine grass, and one had a thick lining of feathers and dog's hair. 

 Some nests are so small that they may be inclosed in the hand, while others 

 can scarcely be inclosed in both hands; one of the smallest nests might be 

 easily inserted in the cavity of a large one. The largest nest I found contained 

 the largest eggs, and probably belonged to an unusually large bird. The eggs 

 are heavily covered with blotches and zigzag lines of various shades of brown, 

 and the ground-color, when visible, is a light clay with a pale greenish tinge. 



The last of June or first of July, the partly fledged birds have the feathers 

 of the crown, back, rump, breast, and throat with black or very dark-brown 

 shaft lines, which, on the breast and throat, are narrowed to about one-third 

 the width of the feather. On the crown and back, the black central markings 

 occupy over half this width. The feathers of the crown are edged with a dingy, 

 yellowish buff; those on the nape, with the grayish or dull ashy; and on the 

 back and rump, with a dingy yellowish gray or buffy. There are two indis- 

 tinct white wing-bars. The edges of breast feathers are soiled yellowish, with 

 a wash of the same on the feathers of the entire under surface. This state of 

 plumage is scarcely attained before it begins to give place to the fall and 

 winter dress with which we are familiar, when the birds come trooping down 

 to the northern United States from the North at the commencement of winter. 

 Beginning on the lower parts, the feathers are gradually molted and re- 

 placed, the change extending slowly toward the bill. I am inclined to think 

 that the molt commences about the tail and rump. It begins the last of 



