Notes from Field and Study 



«5 



inches from the woodwork. I am not 

 informed whether or not the pair of Swallows 

 attempted first to build a nest in the angle 

 under the cornice, but, be this as it may, the 

 old Robin's nest revealed nesting possibilities 

 hitherto untried by the newcomers, who, 

 beginning at the rim, simply domed over the 

 old nest and constructed the usual retort-like 

 projection having a circular entrance. The 

 nest was not in contact with the building at 

 any point, but simply rested on the Robin's 

 nest which in turn rested on the wires. At 

 the time of my visit the old birds were indus- 

 triously feeding their young, then nearly 

 full-grown. — Charles L. Whittle, Cam- 

 bridge, Mass. 



A Thrasher's Bath 



Early in May I saw a Brown Thrasher 

 take a bath in an unusual way; while a very 

 slow, mist-like rain was falling it flew into 

 the top of an old, flat-topped lilac bush in a 

 queer, fluttering way. Then it flew or 

 jumped up and down on top of the bush, each 

 time going under, or partly under and among 

 the leaves, which were dripping wet. After 

 jumping around in the top of the lilac several 

 times, the bird flew on to a pear tree limb 

 nearby, where it preened its feathers as birds 

 do after bathing. — Frank Aikin, Decatur, 

 Ills. 



Titmouse and Squirrel 



On my walk today, a short time after I 

 entered the woods, I heard a Warbler song 

 that was new to me, and while looking for it, 

 J noticed a Titmouse near the top of the tree 

 that was quarreling even more vehemently 

 than usual with something. 1 would have 

 paid him no attention as they are very com- 

 mon here, but while searching for the War- 

 bler I saw that the Tit's argument was with 

 a red squirrel's tail, which was hanging down 

 from a crotch. He continued fussing a 



minute or two, then flew down, perched on 

 the trunk beside the tail, and gathered him- 

 self a mouthful of hairs, the squirrel seem- 

 ingly paying him no attention. At first I 

 supposed that the squirrel was dead, but 

 when I started to walk around the tree he 

 kept himself on the other side of the trunk, as 

 usual. The Titmouse followed him around, 

 took a few more hairs, and flew away, only 

 to return in a very few minutes for more. — 

 Prewitt Roberts, Conway, Mo. 



An Odd Place for a Nest 



In a dance hall in Hartland, Wis., there is 

 an unused chandelier. Through a broken 



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window-pane a Robin gained entrance and 

 built her nest in the receptacle of this chan- 

 delier, and reared a brood in peace and safety. 



