312 LIFE-HISTORIES OF BIRDS 



ever, it merely seeks safety by hopping rapidly 

 into the adjoining bushes. 



The food of this species consists chiefly of in- 

 sects^ berries, and seeds of divers plant-species. 

 Whilst a resident of thickets, it delights in the 

 shade of Abies canadensis, where it discovers a 

 full and ready supply of food in the shape of seeds 

 which have dropped from trees of mature growth. 

 The seeds of various species of Panicum, Aira, 

 and other graminaceous plants, together with 

 those of Ambi'osia artcinisi(gfolia, Amarq,ntus hy- 

 bridus, A. albus, and the berries of Juniperus Vir- 

 giniana. The crumbs and scraps which have been 

 thrown out by the cook, and the cracked corn and 

 broom-seed which are fed to tlie chickens, are also 

 eagerly devoured in their frequent visits to our 

 yards and gardens. W'e have detected in the 

 many stomachs which wi: have examined, Formica 

 sanguinea, Harpalns compar, //. pensyivanicus, 

 Casnonia pennsylvanica, Scarites siibterraneus, 

 Rhynchcenus pini, Cratonychus cinerciis, C.pei'tinax, 

 Pangus caliginosus, LacJmostcrna quercina, and 

 Lumbricus terrestris. 



This bird is a silent feeder. When perched, 

 however, it utters a low, simple call which sounds 

 like tsl, and \i hich can be heard at a very short 

 distance. Its song which is heard at intervals 

 from early morning until night, is a mellow whisde 

 which consists of two long-drawn syllables uttered 

 with a rising intonation, and succeeded by -five 

 others, repeated rather quickly and with a fallino- 



