OF EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA. 327 



taken before the 7th. A single nest was dis- 

 covered at the base of a clump of dwarf willows, 

 which materially assisted to hide it from view. 

 This was constructed out of coarse hay, a modicUm 

 of deer hairs, and fresh, young moss, variously 

 intermingled together; and was livled with a finer 

 quality of hay. Mr. MacFarlane, to whom we 

 are indebted for this discovery, considers this as 

 an exceptional nest, as all the nests he had pre- 

 viously found, had been placed in the midst of 

 branches of pine or spruce- trees, and had been 

 like those of T. alicice. Other nests were dis- 

 covered similar in structure to the last, which 

 seertied to make it highly probable that in certain 

 instances, some birds had occupied old nests of 

 T. alicies for incubating purposes. Richardson says 

 the nests are built in low bushes, and are composed 

 of dry grasses, feathers, and hair. He describes 

 the eggs as being marbled with irregular brown 

 spots upon a mountain green background, and 

 gives the liumber as five. 



According to Audubon who discovered several 

 nests in Labrador, near the sea-coast, the nest is 

 large for the size of the bird, and is ordinarily 

 built upon the ground, surrounded by tall grass 

 or moss, and concealed from view by the branches 

 of a creeping fir, near the stem of which it is placed. 

 Exteriorly, it is composed of moss, and dry grass, 

 and an inner layer of fine grasses carefully adjusted 

 circularly. The lining consists of fine thread-like 

 roots, and the feathers of water-fowls; in one in- 



