TEE OOLOGIST 



89 



exhil)itious of couduct, which surely mean 

 much more thau th(!y seem to at first tlio't. 

 These little displays are, however, very de- 

 ceptive at times, siuce birds freciueatly uot 

 only dissemble those actions which would 

 indicate the proximity of the nest, but on 

 the contrary, impress the observer very 

 strongly that there is one, by little move- 

 ments which he is almost positive could 

 mean nothing else. As in the study of oth- 

 er l)ird-traits, the observer has many difii- 

 cult puzzles to solve, so these are difficulties 

 in which the greatest experience sometimes 

 avails little or nothing. There nevertheless 

 seem to be a few general principles which 

 experience teaches, that go a long way in 

 solving intricate bird-problems : a species' 

 or group of birds are found by the ofilogist, 

 to have a way of displaying those actions 

 which might be indicative of the position 

 or the nearness of tiie nest on all occasions, 

 and he must treat the circumstance accord- 

 ing to the principle which he thinks is the 

 most satisfactory explanation ; while, on the 

 other hand, he has ascertained that certain 

 other species are ever reticent and inactive. 

 But the truth is, one cannot depend upon 

 "•general principles" beyond a certain point. 

 A Hawk sits placidly upon a limb near its 

 nest for some time, which means to the un- 

 observed collector that there is a nest close 

 by, and if successful, the next time his 

 search for a quiescent Hawk as an indica- 

 tion of a nest, may Vje vmrewarded ; while 

 he disregards the circling bird but few feet 

 above the tops of the trees. This is not to 

 be understood an actual case, but simply in 

 illustration of the position here described. 

 I Not many weeks ago, while awaiting the 

 return of the owner of a nest whose identi- 

 ty was doubtful, we Were, meanwhile, in- 

 terested in the maneuvers of a Flycatcher 

 a few rods away. He caught flying in- 

 sects, and invariubly alit within a radius of 

 tour or five rods, often flitting quite close 

 to the nest and perching on the topmost 

 sprays of the adjoining bushes. This de- 

 meanor seemed in itself to have little or no 

 significance, and at first little attention was 

 given it, especially since it was believed the 



nest belonged to a different species ; but the 

 bird continuing to remain within the area, 

 and very frequently alighting within a few 

 feet of the nest, aroused the suspicion tiiat 

 he was one of the parents, which was short- 

 ly verified by the return of the female. 

 There is something in the manner of the 

 Sandpiper and Plover tribes, which, having 

 once been observed, form a pretty accurate 

 guide to the presence of eggs or young. 

 The almost proverbial anxiety ever display- 

 ed by these birds, when an intruder is es- 

 pied too close to the little home, is so nat- 

 ural with them, that almost their every 

 movement during breeding season betrays 

 the proximity of the nest. A collector 

 coming unobserved upon a Sandpiper, can 

 hardly fail to note how carefully she exam- 

 ines the surrounding objects before proceed- 

 ing to the nest : the very aspect of the bird 

 indicates the presence of eggs or young. 



A large class of birds, by their songs, 

 taken in connection with other circimi- 

 stances, unconsciously disclose to the col- 

 lector the fact that tliey have a nest, and 

 not far a way. Tliese birds are wont to 

 perch upon some eminence — tree, bush or 

 rock — almost invariably in the same posi- 

 tion during the time the female is upon the 

 nest, whence, in the intervals between their 

 melodies, they occasionally flit about in the 

 immediate vicinity of the nest, thus indi- 

 cating, though in a remote and somewhat 

 uncertain manner, that the female is sitting 

 upon her nest in ch)se proximity. The stol- 

 id aspect of some species, the Cedar Bird, 

 King Bird and Sparrow Hawk, for exam- 

 ple, perched for a considerable length of 

 time and often, upon a tree, is usually a, 

 sign that there is a nest in its branches ; 

 the Cedar Bird, especially, is one whose 

 appearance in the top of an apple-tree dur- 

 ing nesting season, may be regarded as fa- 

 vorable to the finding of a nest not many 

 yards away. Other instances might be 

 mentioned to show the force of the present 

 subject, all tending to verify the statement 

 that the position of the nests of some bii'ds 

 is frequently discovered to the oologist by 

 certain of those little characteristics which 



