334 BIRDS 



melody during March and April, when the birds are moving 

 toward their summer quarters. 



They nest commonly in northern Michigan, Wisconsin, 

 and Minnesota. In their summer haunts the junco retires 

 to dense forests, building a nest in crevices along little 

 ravines, under the roots of upturned trees, or among 

 fallen logs where the country is almost inaccessible. Their 

 demeanor is quite different from that of the migrating 

 junco which visits our dooryards picking up the bread 

 crumbs or feed about the barnyards. 



The nest is composed of hair, rootlets, and stems. Three 

 or four eggs are laid. The background is greenish-blue and 

 the larger half of the egg is marked with red dots, often 

 forming a wreath about the larger half of the shell. 



These birds breed abundantly through Vermont, New 

 Hampshire, Maine, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. 



THE PINK-SIDED JUNCO* 



Their sweet disposition and cheerful actions, rather than 

 their song and brilliant colors, make the j uncos attractive. 



The j uncos are birds of the mountain forests and are 

 driven to the lower altitudes and warmer chmates by the 

 severe snows of the mountain regions. Except during the 

 nesting season, they are decidedly gregarious birds, and will 

 be seen in flocks varying from a dozen or more to several 

 hundred individuals. Always active, they seem to be con- 

 stantly moving, either in search of food or in happy play. 

 They chase each other on the ground or in flight, uttering a 

 short note at frequent intervals. " In their homes you find 



