OF VIRGINIA 345 
Missouri, Indiana, central Ohio, Pennsylvania (spar- 
ingly), and central New Jersey, south to southeastern 
Louisiana, the Gulf coast, and northern Florida. 
A very common breeding bird throughout the whole 
area. For a nesting site a rotten sapling poplar, pine, or 
holly stub is generally selected, a small hole being exca- 
vated by the birds themselves. An exception to this general 
rule is a natural knot hole cavity in a live tree, or some- 
times a fence post. When once they have selected their 
location they do not seem to mind being disturbed or 
interrupted in their duties, either during nest building, 
incubation, or feeding young, and it is rather hard to 
dislodge the female while sitting. The nest cavity is 
rarely above ground more than eight feet, generally from 
three to five. Around some pond or marsh, or along a 
river bank seems their favorite home site. The cavity 
is well lined with bark fiber, fine green moss, rabbit fur, 
and hair, six eggs being a large setting in this section, 
generally four or five. April 19th finds fresh eggs, 
casually as late as May 2nd. Sometimes two broods are 
raised in one season. Many remain during the winter 
season. Eggs, a creamy-white, dotted with reddish-brown. 
Size, .56x.46 for an average, though there is a great 
variation in size, and many sets have runt eggs. The nest- 
ing cavity is excavated, from five to eight inches below 
the entrance hole, and is a very neat piece of workman- 
ship. They are persistent workers in the medium-sized 
woods and sapling growths, in search of insects, larve, 
and eggs; undoubtedly playing an important part in the 
reduction of many of our forest pests. They travel in 
small bands, and even during breeding time two or more 
pair are found not far distant. 
