264 KNOWING BIRDS THROUGH STORIES 



feeds largely on beetles, caught on the wing or in trees. In 

 fact, it seldom alights on the ground, tho I have seen it 

 do so. It eats beetles so large that it seems impossible for 

 it to swallow them. After these insects are digested the 

 indigestible feet, legs, and shells are rolled into a ball by 

 the bird's stomach and disgorged. 



This bird can be heard uttering an unmusical "chickey- 

 chucker-chuck'' from time to time as it flits among the 

 branches. In mating time, however, it sings freely early 

 in the morning — the song resembling that of a vireo, only 

 sweeter. 



The summer tanager keeps itself well hidden in the tops 

 of trees, and for this reason it seems strange that it 

 usually nests on a horizontal limb seldom as much as twenty 

 feet high and often so low that one can look into the nest 

 from the ground. This nest is built of dry weeds, etc., 

 bound together by dry grass and is so poorly fastened to 

 the limb and so shiftlessly put together that a high wind 

 often shakes it to the ground. 



The three to five light blue eggs are brooded by both 

 parents — twelve days are required for them to hatch. 

 When the young are old enough to fly, the parents do not 

 attempt to rear another brood but lead the young through 

 the woods for a while and in the fall they all go south 

 together. The young look much like the mother, but can 

 be recognized by their hunger call — such a forlorn, pained 

 tone as to touch even the hardest heart. Evidently they 

 succeed in touching the parents' hearts, for the young are 

 fed for two or three weeks after they are able to fly. 



