232 THE NATURE-STUDY REVIEW [5:9— dec, 1909 



was tipped with white. I placed them all on the ground which 

 was a bit of new experience. The light probably hurt their eyes, 

 as they kept them closed. The lids and feet were light gray. 

 I could not remain to await the arrival of the parent birds, but 

 I would have given much to have witnessed their surprise at 

 finding their doorway so greatly enlarged. 



July 10, 5-7 A. M. — I sat thirty feet in front of the nest, the 

 nearest I had ventured since the first day. As I passed the tree, 

 I stopped, scratched on the bark, and looked in. The eyes of 

 the young birds were all very bright, and their voices greeted me 

 with precisely the sound they give their parents. The hearing 

 was very acute, and they had long since learned to associate the 

 scratching sound with their food supply. At 5.07 the female 

 came to the tree, and a moment later rested just outside the 

 opening. Then I saw the regurgitation process, for the doorway 

 was four inches lower than before, and all the young appeared, 

 and four were fed. Poor Number Five received none. I 

 wondered if his mother would remember it the next time. At 

 5.27 the male came to a tree near me, and preened his feathers. 

 He was very wet, and had evidently just had his morning bath in 

 the pond beyond the pasture. The female came to the same tree 

 at 5-33, where she and the male exchanged soft greetings for two 

 minutes, when she went to the opening and fed two of her young. 

 (The old birds never went into the nest to feed the young after 

 the opening was enlarged, but the female always went in after- 

 ward to tidy her house.) At 5.35, the female flew away, and at 

 once the male came to the opening, and after feeding two of the 

 young, as they hung almost out of the nest, flew away. Both 

 male and female returned at 6.10 to next tree, and at 6.1 r, the 

 female went to the nest where she fed one. At 6.18, she re- 

 turned to feed one more. The male came to the tree at 6.20, 

 and gave his alarm note, just over the nest, to which the young 

 paid no attention, but when his feet were heard at the opening, 

 every head appeared, and the chorus began. As soon as one 

 baby bird was satisfied, he sank down out of sight — I suppose, to 

 sleep. The female came at 6.53, but flew away at 6.55 without 

 feeding. 



July II, 5.15-5.40 p. M. — Having found that the birds did not 

 mind my sitting within thirty feet, I now ventured to sit against 

 a pile of brush just eight feet from the foot of the tree, and 



