EASTERN HERMIT THRUSH 151 



is by flight. Finally when the decision of the young hermit does come 

 it leaps from the rim of the nest, flutters its wings, and then makes its 

 way along the ground and through the vegetation in the direction of 

 the coaxing adult. After a few yards of travel the youngster is re- 

 warded with food. This performance of the adults is continued until 

 all have left the nest in a similar fashion. If you attempt to follow 

 the young they take a short flight at the same time, uttering a series 

 of distress calls, which are a signal for the adults to come to their 

 rescue. At such times the adults exhibit unusual bravery and may 

 even dash at the human intruder in rage. 



As is true with other ground-nesting birds a comparatively small 

 percentage of young reach maturity. Miss Cordelia J. Stanwood 

 (1910) states that out of 14 nests containing a total of 47 eggs only 19 

 fledglings left the nest. Others are lost after leaving the nest before 

 they are able to fly well enough to perch well above the ground out of 

 reach of terrestrial enemies. 



The relative growth of the young during the 12 days spent in the 

 nest can be shown by their daily weighings. The average daily 

 weights of three young of an apparently typical family brood were 

 4.12, 4.93, 7.21, 10.12, 14.76, 16.98, 19.21, 22.35, 24.60, 25.13, 25.61, 

 and 24.81 grams, respectively, for the 12 days. It will be seen that 

 the weighings increase rapidly during the first week of nest life, but 

 the proportionate increase diminishes as they grow older and was ac- 

 tually less on the twelfth than on the preceding day. The weight at 

 the end exceeded six times the weight at the beginning of nest life. 



The nesting season of the hermit thrush extends over a relatively 

 long period from May to August, or about three months. O. W. 

 Knight (1908) reports that he has found nests of the hermit thrush 

 with full complements of eggs as early as May 1. Others have found 

 nests with eggs during the first week of May. Miss C. J. Stanwood 

 (1910) found a nest of the hermit thrush, containing three eggs, at 

 Ellsworth, Maine, on August 22, 1909. The young left on September 

 8. Dr. C. Hart Merriam (1882) found a nest containing fresh eggs at 

 Locust Grove, Lewis County, N. Y., on August 24, 1870. August 

 nesting dates are by no means rare. This wide range in time of nest- 

 ing dates, more than three months, is very suggestive that two or even 

 three broods may be reared by a single pair of birds during one season. 

 The incubation period is 12 days, and the time spent by the young in 

 the nest is also only 12 days; hence a nest can be built and the young 

 matured in the course of a month. The two distinct summer singing 

 periods of the hermit are also suggestive of two nestings. It is well 

 known that if the first nest proves a failure a second attempt will be 

 made during the same season. 



