NOTES ON A FEW OF OUR BIRDS. 387 



In 1874 I found a pair of these birds occupying a woodpecker's 

 deserted hole, and every new year finds them in their old abode, in 

 spite of the fact that they were once robbed of all their eggs, showing 

 very plainly how attached they become to their old haunts, and that 

 even to a blackbird "there is no place like home." Audubon says 

 that in the South the crow-blackbird frequently makes use of holes in 

 trees, where a few dry weeds and feathers are collected on which the 

 female deposits her eggs ; Burroughs, also, notices that this bird, 

 " seized with a fit of indolence, drops its eggs in the cavity of a decayed 

 branch." In New England, however, this is not often the case, and in 

 the instance mentioned indolence was clearly not the cause of their 

 selecting this residence, for the nest was constructed exactly similar 

 to those built in trees. I also found a nest of this species in a low 

 marsh which was occupied by red-winged blackbirds as a nesting-place. 

 This nest was built in low bushes about eighteen inches above the 

 water, and was in structure like the redwing's nests among which it 

 was placed, there being no mud used in the construction. This case, 

 so far as I can learn, stands alone as a peculiar instance of adaptation 

 to surroundings as exhibited by these birds. 



Every one in New England probably knows the night-hawk, though 

 persons generally are but little interested in it, and very few indeed 

 become well acquainted with its habits. This may be partly due to 

 the fact that it has no song to recommend it, but is principally owing 

 to its habit of remaining perched along some limb during the daytime, 

 when, on account of the similarity of its coat to the branch on which 

 it rests, it remains unnoticed by the casual observer. At the approach 

 of evening, however, he ascends into the air, and there darting about 

 in every direction he procures his food, which consists of various kinds 

 of insects ; now he is by no means silent, but makes the night resound 

 with his shrill cries, varying the entertainment occasionally by diving 

 from a great height with partially closed wings, and making a noise 

 which, as Nuttall says, resembles the sound produced by blowing into 

 the bung-hole of an empty hogshead. Early in June you may perhaps 

 witness their courtship. The male is all attention, strutting around 

 with spread tail and ruffled feathers, for all the world like a miniature 

 turkey-cock ; stopping now within a short distance of his charmer, he 

 ducks his head and wags his body from side to side, uttering all the 

 while a growling sound which seems to come from the very depths of 

 his distended throat. During this time the female is apparently re- 

 gardless of this mass of fuss and feathers, and sits perfectly still a 

 sweet picture of modesty ; this is continued for some time, when off 

 my lady goes sailing through the air, leaving her suitor to follow at 

 his leisure. Audubon says, " The male may be said to court his mate 

 entirely on the icing, strutting as it were through the air." In this 

 statement, however, he is hardly correct, as for the last three years a 

 pair of these birds have used a roof a few feet from my window as a 



