2o8 Bird -Lore 



was found deserted. Althoujrh a severe thunder- and iain->toini \\a> resijonsible 

 for the destruction of another nest under observation, the complete disappear- 

 ance of all the young from the nest shown in the i)hotogiaph points to theft. 

 Perhaps the red squirrel observed high u]) in one of the big cedars (over four 

 feet in circumference) was watching me, and later yielded to the desire to destroy. 



Not far from the home of the Parula, upon a hillside dotted with small cedars, 

 a nest of Black-throated Green Warblers was found one and one-half feet from 

 the ground, in a small cedar. After waiting about half an hour in the hot sun for 

 the parent birds to alight near the nest, it was decided that it was useless to stay 

 longer, for the old birds were reluctant to approach. If the family of the Black- 

 throats had been younger, tlie i)arents would douljtless have shown more bravery. 

 As it was, the young were about ready to leave, and, being slightly disturbed, 

 they tumbled out of the nest, and this was the signal for the mother bird to tlutter 

 close to me and drop upon the ground, feigning injury to wings or leg, at the 

 same time spreading the tail feathers wide, showing the outer white ones. It 

 was then that I noticed she invariably lighted upon a small cedar opposite, and 

 within seven feet of the nesting-site. This gave me an opportunity to focus upon 

 her, with the light from a more favorable direction. 



While the commotion in the Black-throat family was at its height, a splendid 

 chance was afforded me of witnessing what appeared to be a flirtation between 

 two Towhees; and, during the maneuvers, the beauty of the birds was strik- 

 ingly displayed and the flashes of black, white and l)rown seemed brilliant as 

 they fluttered upon a large gray mossy green rock, and then disappeared again 

 in the tangle of briers. 



A Prairie Warbler was also attracted by the clatter of voices, and, after adding 

 a few of his alarm notes, soared high in the air, and came down in a series of 

 tumbling flights into a bull-brier thicket over the brow of the hill. In the mean- 

 time, I was able to make three j)ictures of the Black-throated Green Warbler, 

 one of which is presented liere. 



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