174 THE BIRDS 
lichens over the entire surface, and placed on a small 
limb of a tree generally covered with lichens, it is almost 
next to impossible to locate it unless one sees the bird fly 
directly to it. Elms and maples are usually selected in 
this section, though occasionally other species of trees, 
such as black walnut, dogwood or gum, are used. The 
height of nest from the ground varies from fifteen to fifty 
feet, while the position of the nest on the limb is usually 
near its extremity. Two pure white eggs is a full set; 
May 20th to June 15th. Size, .50x.35. They are not 
an over-abundant bird, though well distributed over our 
entire section, except islands. They arrive about April 
25th, and depart the last week in September. Only one 
brood a season is reared. Their food consists mostly of 
the nectar or honey extracted from the numerous varieties 
of flowers visited by them. I have found them breeding 
as high as 4,500 feet altitude. 
