16 



stances. Ou June 1 a heavy blow and thunder storm occurred, 

 and during which 4.5 inches of water fell in less than an hour, 

 and 6.2 inches in the next 18 hours. At this time there were act- 

 ually less nests, of those under observation, vacated inside of 24 

 hours than there had been before, or were after; but here it is 

 likely that those that were destroyed were the result of the storm 

 and not of any other agency, as these would naturally do but 

 very little damage during inclement weather. But very few cases 

 were observed during the summer when it was certain that nests 

 Mere destroyed by storms. In these eases the nests were more 

 or less torn to pieces and the complete quota of eggs or young 

 found under the trees. We may, then, conclude that doves can 

 withstand rough weather, and that neither Wind or rain of ordi- 

 nary force, has much damaging effect on either nests, eggs or 

 young birds. 



What animals are there, then, that prey upon the eggs and 

 young? Owls, Hawks, Jays, Skunks, Cats, Raccoons and Opos- 

 sums are scarce in this locality, doing but very little harm, and 

 so need no comment except that the Sparrow and Red-tailed 

 Hawks at times become quite numerous, but usually not till late 

 in the fall, after the breeding season is over. Yet in places where 

 they do occur they will destroy their share of birds of all species, 

 and must be considered, to a certain extent, enemies of game and 

 other useful birds. But in their place there are snakes and rats 

 in abundance. Of the former the Black King Snake is the most 

 common. He is a greedy creature when he gets hungry, and 

 will then gorge himself to repletion, after which he may lie 

 idle for several days. On July 12 one was found coiled near a 

 Mocking Bird's nest and seemed to be unconcerned amid the 

 threatening cries of the old birds, and probably would have 

 calmly devoured the entire contents of the nest of he had not 

 been disturbed. One little bird, about ten or twelve days 

 old, was just disappearing when the snake was captured. 

 It was found, upon examination, that it had already 

 swallowed one other bird from this nest, and had also 

 raided a Red-winged Blackbird's nest but a short time previous, 

 as it contained three eggs of that bird, in all of which the em- 

 bryos were still alive. Twice this same snake has been caught 

 in the act of destroying doves' nests. In the case of nest No. 40 

 the two young had been glutted when found ; and No. 88, one egg 



