THE OOLOQidt 



181 



RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD 



For two or more months during the 

 Fall of 1910, a male Ruby-throat Hum- 

 ming Bird visited my yard nearly 

 every morning and evening. The at- 

 traction was a dense growth of Sal- 

 vice of Scarlet Sage of which the 

 Hummers are very fond. 



This little bird became quite tame 

 and would perch on a rose bush or 

 wire fence within a few feet of where 

 I would be working and seemed to 

 consider me as a part of the environ- 

 ment and not to be feared. A little 

 later he grew to consider the grounds 

 as his special territory and resented 

 the intrusion of other birds or an- 

 imals. 



The presence of my little white 

 French Poodle dogs he decidedly re- 

 sented, and would fly down on their 

 backs in a fury, frightening them not 

 a little. 



One evening a fine large Humming- 

 bird moth flew into the yard and com- 

 menced getting its supper from some 

 late flowering Perennial Phlox. The 

 Hummer at once got busy and began 

 investigations. Buzzing over the 

 moth for a short time, he flew into 

 a rage and made a fierce attack, utter- 

 ing its little squeaky notes, as though 

 it would say, "You are a bogus hum- 

 mingbird. Get out of my yard." 



The moth returned in a few mo- 

 ments to some flowers a few rods 

 away, but was again attacked and 

 driven away for good. 



He was a fine large specimen in 

 brilliant plumage and I would have 

 liked to add him to my collection of 

 scientific skins, but had no heart to 

 take the life of this beautiful little 

 visitor. 



Dr. W. S. Strode, 

 Lewistown, 111. 



A BLACK AND WHITE WARBLER 

 NEST 



One fine morning in May, this 

 spring, I was trying very hard to lo- 

 cate one nest at least of several pair 

 c .' Canadian Warblers that were nest- 

 ing in a part of a large swamp. This 

 part had had most of the larger trees 

 chopped off and the new growth was 

 mainly different buiho.? like blue- 

 berry and wild plum. To find the 

 ne t of a Canadian, as good a way as 

 any, is to sit down somewhere near 

 v,'here the male sings the most and 

 hcpe to catch th? female going to the 

 nest with building material. Such 

 v.aT ray occupation when I noticed a 

 rmall bird hopping about in a last 

 years Crow's nest in a pine about 20 

 ft. up. Through the glasses the bird 

 was identified as a female Black and 

 White Warbler. At first I did not 

 know what she was doing. She would 

 go down into the bottom of the nest, 

 which although flattened by use, was 

 deep enough to conceal her. Then 

 she v.ould re-appear hopping around 

 en top on the sticks, but when I saw 

 her depart with her bill full it dawned 

 upcn me that she was getting ma- 

 terial for her own nest. 



After watching her for quite a while 

 I went over to the bog I noticed she 

 vvent to most, but could not find a 

 nest. From behind a nearby bog I 

 discovered, after a good long wait, 

 that after flying down from the pine 

 to the bog, she flew along, low down, 

 about twenty feet to where the nest 

 was concealed under the over hang 

 on another blueberry bog. 



She was just starting to line her 

 nest and the material she was get- 

 ting from the old Crow's nest was 

 similar to what she would use or- 

 dinarily. A few days later I watched 

 her still selecting material from the 

 Crow's »est. Was unable to go to the 

 nest at the right time being a few 



