THE OSPEEY. 



91 



to the camera, which a mere clamp fixed to a 

 single limb would not have done. The use of 

 cinch-clamp is almost an absolute necessity 

 under these conditions, for without it I doubt if 

 I would have succeeded in getting my camera in 

 position. 



There were four eggs in the nest, but it was 

 impossible to rest the camera in any other posi- 

 tion than the one shown in our illustration so 

 we were satisfied to simply obtain a picture of 

 the nest, and even this seemed rather doubtful 

 for the bright sunshine was filtering abundantly 

 through various portions of the branches and 

 rendered the illumination rather doubtful, the 

 more so since it was necessary that the lense 

 face toward the sun. This was about 7 a. m. I 

 stopped down to 64 and gave a 15 second expo- 

 sure, and the negative proved to be a fair one. 



While I slipped the slide into the plate-holder. 

 Mrs. Blue-Grey returned to her domicile, and 

 unceremoniously dropped down into the deep cup 

 until nothing except the head and pertly cocked 

 up tail were visible. Two more exposures were 

 made both of which proved to lie fair negatives, 

 one of which is here reproduced. The smallness 



THE BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHEK OX UK 1 ; NEST 



of the picture is due to the too great distance 

 between the camera and the bird, but a common 

 4 x s camera can do only what it is able. 



The nest seemed an exception to all those 

 which I had observed in previous years, differ- 

 ing from them in the fact that it was entirely 

 lacking the usual lichen ornamentation, and I 

 wonder if the absence of lichens on this tree 

 caused the bird- to leave their nest unfinished as 

 it were, to give it greater protection. The selec- 

 tion of the immediate surroundings is a pretty 

 one. Some time during the history of that limb 



it lost its terminal bud which arrested its 

 progress; the adjacent buds sent out small 

 branches, the lowest one of which forms the 

 base for our nest while the upper ones act as 

 a canopy, as shown in the picture. 



We next visited the Black and White Creeper's 

 nest, took a picture of it. then examined a Car- 

 dinal's home not twenty feet from the Creeper's, 

 in the down bent vine entangled tree near the 

 south fence, not more than a hundred feet from 

 the gate, and found that it contained three eggs. 

 The nest was so well concealed that it was im- 

 possible to see it from below — while the stump 

 wis too rotten to invite one's weight. We there- 

 fore left everything" undisturbed, and the nest 

 to the anxious pair of Cardinals, complimenting 

 them on their selection of the site. 



Then we visited a Phoebe's mossy castle, built 

 or a rocky ledge beneath the little stone-arch 

 bridge, at the bottom of the boarded path, and 

 photographed its cup. brimfull to overflowing. 

 The young were all attention and flattened down 

 completely, played possum, and after taking a 

 picture of them in this position I placed my finger 

 near them, and like a flash the entire company 

 took to their wings and left the place deserted. 



Since then we have located a Brown Thrasher's 

 a House Wren's and a Red-eyed Vireo's nest in 

 the little cemetery near the south gate. Two Cat 

 Bird's nests and one of the Wood Thrush near 

 tin- bank of the stream between therustic bridge 

 and the boarded footpath. Another Cat Bird's 

 nest near the road, about half way between the 

 Blue-Greys and therustic bridge. Another one 

 of Acadian Flycatcher on the hill side between 

 the high bridge and the stepping stones. A 

 Yellow-throated Vireo's across the creek near 

 the i Ivenbird's in the first large beech tree. An 

 Acadian Flycatcher's just a few yards beyond 

 swinging gracefully on a little branch out over 

 the path. Between this and the bridge we have 

 located another of the Black ami White Creeper, 

 the Cat lord and one of the Flicker. 



Other birds which no doubt are at present 

 nesting" here or have nested here but whose 

 home we have either neglected to look for, or 

 failed to tind are the Song Sparrow, Carolina 

 Wren. Tufted Tit. Yellow-breasted Chat, Chica- 

 dee. Great Crested Flycatcher, Louisiana Water- 

 thrush, Spotted Sandpiper, l?l Redstart, Indigo 

 bird, Yellow Warbler and the Maryland Yellow- 

 throat. These birds have been ever present upon 

 our visits, and we feel quite positive that one or 

 more nests of each may be located in this place. 

 It will be interesting to go over this ground in 

 fall, when the leaves have left the trees and 

 shrubs, and count the many nests which escaped 

 our notice at this season, and wonder how it was 

 possible that such a nest in such plain view- 

 could have been passed as often without being 

 deti cted. 



