248 THE BIRDS 
stems, plant down and leaf skeletons, and lined with fine 
grasses. Fresh eggs may be found from May 27th until 
June 12th. Size, .75x.52. They do not winter with us, 
and are one of the last birds to arrive, about April 28th 
to May 2nd. <A second brood is not unusual, the eggs 
being deposited about July 15th. Like the Blue Grosbeak, 
they may be found feeding on some of the early rye and 
oat heads, but very sparingly, their chief diet being 
various insects gathered in and around the borders of 
ditch bank hedges, and second growth. They depart 
from this section about August 15th, and during: the 
summer seem to be sparingly distributed over our whole 
area. 
