Illustrations of the Method. 



21 



The male was more cautious and did not actually feed his young until twenty-seven 

 minutes after eleven. His fears were then dispelled and life at the nest went on without 

 interruption. At about noon the old birds were using the tent as a half-w?y house, 

 alighting on its peak and guys, and foraging about it for food. In the space of four hours 

 on the first day, during which the birds were watched at a distance of about twenty-seven 

 inches, fifty-four visits were made and the young were fed forty times. The female 

 brooded her young over an hour, fed them twenty-nine times, and cleaned the nest 

 thirteen times. The male made eleven visits, attending to sanitary matters but twice. 

 This example illustrates as well as any which could be given the advantage which attends 

 the use of the observation tent. 



On the following day, July nth, the female was at the nest and brooding her young 

 in five minutes after the tent was in position. Presently she left to hunt for insects, 

 alighted on the tent, and five minutes later was feeding her young and cleaning the nest. 

 In the course of nearly three and one half hours, fifty-five visits were made and the young 

 were fed collectively or singly forty-three times. At about half-past eleven o'clock one 

 of the fledglings left the nest and was fed by the old birds in the surrounding bushes of 

 the swamp. The female brought food thirty-two times, cleaned the nest eight times, and 

 brooded eighteen times for intervals varying from thirty seconds to eighteen minutes. 

 This bird cut a queer figure while stand- 

 ing or sitting in the sun, with wings 

 spread and bristling like a turkey-cock 

 with every feather erect, and with 

 mouth agape, trying to keep cool while 

 shielding her family from the heat. Her 

 breathings were at the rate of 1 50 to 

 160 times a minute. The male bird 

 served food eleven times and attended 

 to sanitary matters once. In the course 

 of forty-two minutes the first young 

 bird to leave the nest was fed eight 

 times, seven times by the mother and 

 once by the father. Three days later 

 the swamp was visited at just after sun- 

 down, when the young birds suddenly 

 arose from the nest and flew off with 

 ease and precision. 



Kingbirds pose so well, especially 

 about their nests, that I was anxious to 

 see how they would stand 

 the test of a sudden change 

 in their surroundings. Accordingly, I 

 watched with unusual care two nests 

 which were found near my house. On 



the thirteenth day of June one had two and the other four eggs all freshly laid, and these 

 appeared to be the full complement. Young were hatched in each nest on or near the 

 twenty-fifth of the month. 



The Kingbird. 



Fig. 15. Baltimore Oriole inspecting nest when behavior has 

 become more free. 



