A Catbird Study 87 



ship, and the Cardinal with his brood left the house where he had 

 been so well entertained, to return no more. No more ? Who shall 

 say of any novel that it can have no sequel ? Massachusetts may yet 

 become the permanent home of the Kentucky Cardinal, the descen- 

 dant to the third and fourth generation of Louis and his mate. 



A Catbird Study 



BY DR. THOS. S. ROBERTS 



Director Department of Birds, Natural History Survey of Minnesota. 

 With Photographs from nature by the Author. 



THE subjects of this sketch had located their bark- and root- 

 lined nest of coarse sticks, four feet from the ground, in 

 a little oak bush surrounded by brakes, sunflowers, and hazel. 

 Instead of being, as usual, in the midst of a dense, and, therefore, 

 dark thicket, this nest was quite in the open, shaded by only a few 



CATBIRD AND NEST 



overhanging, leafy branches of small size. Its exceptionally favor- 

 able location and the apparent tameness of the birds suggested an 

 attempt at avian photography, and the undertaking was entered upon 

 at once, a very considerable fund of interest and enthusiasm having 

 to take the place of any special previous experience in this line of 

 work. After clearing away a little of the overhanging and intervening 

 vegetation, the camera was placed with the lens not more than two feet 



