Chronicles of the Nest-Builders 



By W. B. MALLORY. Lennox, South Dakota 



DURING the Summer of 1914 the writer carefully observed all birds 

 which built or started to build nests on his residence grounds in 

 Lennox, a small town in southeastern South Dakota, of which obser- 

 vations the results are recorded in this article. The area under observation 

 consists of about one acre, about one hundred feet north of which lies a rail- 

 road. On the east side is a self-sown hedge of young box elder and ash trees 

 growing closely together. Scattered over the place, with the exception of the 

 open front yard, are fairly large box elder, ash, and elm trees and also a small 

 plum thicket. Back of the dwelling hes a flower-garden, and farther back is 



a vegetable-garden. 



The following diagram shows the 

 location of nests by numbers, which are 

 explained beyond. It also shows by 

 letters, the position of the dwelling, chil- 

 dren's playhouse and children's sand-pile. 



A. Dwelling-house. 



B. Children's Playhouse. 



C. Children's Sand-pile. 



1. Yellow Warbler. Eighteen 

 inches from ground; in a red raspberry 

 bush. This nest was not located till the 

 leaves fell in the fall, although diligent 

 search was made against the vigorous 

 protests of the pair. It is very doubtful 

 if any birds were raised from this nest, 

 as no young Warblers were seen about. 



2. Goldfinch. Seven feet from the 

 ground; in a young ash tree. This nest 

 also escaped detection till fall, although 

 the writer must have been directly 

 beneath it many times vainly searching 

 for it. Two families of Goldfinches ap- 

 peared at the proper time, and without 

 doubt one family of five came from this 

 nest. 



3. Traill Flycatcher (Identifica- 

 tion of species not positive). Five feet 



from ground, in a young box elder. This is the third year this pair has nested 

 at this spot or within ten feet of it. Therefore a careful watch was kept to see 

 when the first start of the nest was made. The first materials for the nest were 



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DIAGRAMP'SHOWING LOCATION 

 . fit OF NESTS 

 Scale — One inch^75 feet 



