Birds in DiszJiise. 



107 



from four to ten feet above the marsh. Six of these 

 old nests were in possession of American goldfinches. 

 The present tenants had loosely filled the nest about 

 half full of cat-tail down and had formed only a 

 slight hollow for the nest proper. Some were found 

 with eggs and in others there were " birds in last 

 year's nests." (A. M. I.) 



Samuel's Song Sparrow — Melospiza fasciata sam- 

 uelis. — A nest containing three eggs was found in a 

 round oyster can which had lodged sideways among 

 some driftwood in a willow tree. (W. O. E.) 



California Towhee — Pipilo fusctis cris sails. — A 

 pair constructed a nest in a five-gallon kerosene oil- 

 can that lay on its side in a shallow ditch. Part of 

 one end of the can had been cut open, giving access 

 to the birds. (W. O. E.) 



Barn Swallow — Chelidoit erythrogaster. — A kind- 

 hearted postmaster in the country nailed a shelf-like 

 board against the porch above the entrance to his 

 office, intending to give the crimson house finches a 

 place to build. A pair of barn swallows took pos- 

 session of this arrangement and built on top of it a 

 nest composed of straw and feathers. This is the 

 only instance I have known where this species used 

 no mud in the composition of its nest. The position 

 of this nest was less remarkable than the peculiarity 

 of its structure. (A-. M. I.) 



A barn swallow's nest was built a few feet below 



the surface of a well which was in daily use, water 

 being raised by means of a windlass and bucket. 

 The weight of the growing young became so great 

 that it broke the nest from the moist ground, and 

 the young were drowned. A second nest was speed- 

 ily begun upon a shelf of rock, nearly thirty feet 

 below the surface, and not high above the water. 

 Unfortunately, the result of this second attempt was 

 not learned, for it would be exceedingly interesting 

 to know how, if at all, the young were brought to the 

 surface from so great a depth. (C. W. K.) 



Tree Swallow — Tachycineta bicolor. — A few years 

 ago I found a nest with young in a crevice under the 

 projecting and decayed deck of a lumber lighter 

 moored in Oakland Harbor. 



Hutton's Vireo — Vireo huttoni. — A pair of vireos 

 built this year in the outer branches of a live oak, 

 only a few feet above the exhaust pipe from a steam 

 pump, where at times they were compelled to sus- 

 pend work, owing to the dense vapor which envel- 

 oped them. Four eggs were laid in this nest. (C. 

 W. K.) 



Long-billed Marsh Wren — Cistothorus palustris. 

 — A conspicuous nest, containing eggs, was woven 

 among the almost leafless branches of a young wil- 

 low, five feet above a fresh water marsh. The 

 false nests were built as usual, but in the coarse grass 

 near by. (A. M. I.) 



BIRDS IN DISGUISE 



HERE are thirty-six birds in disguise. 

 Tlieir names are given in the form 

 of anagrams. The anagrams contain the let- 

 ters which make up the names. By trans- 

 posing the letters of each anagram, patient 

 and ingenious readers of the Audubon 

 Magazine may form the name of the bird 

 it contains. Take for example No. 21, 

 Pawling. Transpose the letters and we 

 find Lapwing. In the same manner 

 each of the others may be discovered. 



For the first five perfect solutions of the 

 list sent in by subscribers to the magazine 

 five silver Audubon badges will be sent, 

 one to each one who solves the puzzles. 

 The result will be announced in our August 

 number. 



Directions. Number each name to cor- 

 respond with the anagram. Send the list 



with your full name and address to the 

 Editor of the Audubon Magazine, No. 

 31S Broadway, New York. 



