Towhee WESTERN BIRDS 



Finally, stooping down and looking into the nest we 

 beheld a sight which caused our cries to mingle with 

 those of the poor mother, for coiled in the nest was a 

 big gopher snake. A punch of the umbrella sent it away 

 but the nest was empty, the three nestlings having made 

 a meal for this slippery monster. 



The distress of the mother was pitiful. Again and 

 again she cautiously inspected the nest, evidently unable 

 to believe that the nestlings were gone. 



Soon the male appeared carrying a big miller in his 

 mouth. He, too, inspected the nest and repeatedly tried 

 to find the young to feed, but failing to do so, finally 

 ate the miller. The fact that he expected to feed this 

 insect to the young birds seemed to me to prove that 

 these birds do not feed by regurgitation. 



At another Spurred Towhee 's nest where I watched, 

 the labor of feeding was divided by the parents in an 

 interesting way. Evidently the young had left the nest 

 and were in different clumpy of bushes. It was impos- 

 sible to see them, but their whereabouts was told by the 

 actions of the birds. The female made frequent trips 

 into one clump, while the male likewise carried food to 

 another. Sometimes the food was soft bread brought 

 from a bird lover's table on the hill above. 



Once in hopes that we might see the young, we sat 

 down in the clump of bushes where the female was feed- 

 ing. Presently the male came over, and giving his call 

 in a low, grumbling way began inspecting us. Slowly 

 he circled entirely around us and then, evidently satisfied 

 with our looks and actions, went back to his charges and 

 paid no more attention to us. 



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