104 



THE OOLOGIST. 



the food would rather doubt if such 

 were the case, still it is hardly fair to 

 deny them the equal devotion of other 

 birds. It is among the smaller species 

 that we see the greatest devotion, be- 

 cause it is easier to watch their habits. 

 The vireos and warblers are much giv- 

 en to attentions to their setting mates, 

 and may be seen a dozen times a day 

 conveying a morsel to the little hen on 

 the nest; but as a rule, the male takes 

 Vre place of the mother bird while she is 

 feeding. All of the smaller birds, with- 

 out an exception, so far as I am able to 

 learn, follow this course of procedure, 

 and relieve their mates in the duties of 

 incubation, as is also followed by the 

 birds of prey and other species of my 

 acquaintance. 



The position of the setting bird on 

 the nest is an interesting point to 

 study. The subject has been of great 

 interest to me, and in the past years 

 many observation have been made 

 which plainly indicate that the prem- 

 ises of all species have their entrances 

 and their exits. Many there are, as the 

 kingfishers, woodpeckers and other 

 species which reach their nests through 

 small openings, and these of .necessity 

 must emerge from the same opening by 

 which they enter; but all seem to have 

 a well-defined position in settling, es 

 we shall see. 



All can recall the position of the 

 turkey, goose and common hen and 

 how rarely it is changed; and with the 

 wild bird, the liability is even less. 

 For with the barnyard fowl we can 

 alter their posture by placing a board 

 in a variety of positions about the nest, 

 but with the inhabitants of the wood, 

 any interference generally results in 

 desertion. The Robin when building 

 the nest, often tries how her brooding 

 breast fits the growing structure, and 

 this, too, when the bare platform gives 

 no indication of the sides to follow. 

 Later the male sits in the forming cup, 

 and speculates on the prospects. Dur- 



ing the four days of egg laying the fe' 

 male is not on, or rather in, the struct- 

 ure to any extent, unless the weather 

 is cold or wet. It is only after the du- 

 ties of regular incubation begin, a per- 

 iod that lasts fourteen days to a dot, 

 that the Robins adopt a standard, fol- 

 lowed by the pair to a nicety. The 

 cock, who shares in the setting, when 

 going to take his trick, almost invaria- 

 bly flies toward his mate in the same 

 path, and arriving at the back door, 

 just as his fe9t touch the edge, the hen 

 is seen to dart forward between the 

 branches, which comprise the front 

 door. The front door, as I prefer 

 to call it, is then the exit, and 

 toward it the setting bird always points 

 the bill. The Robin very rarely points 

 the bill toward the trunk, and general- 

 ly directs to an open space in the fo i- 

 age. 



With all birds, so far as I am able to 

 learn, the exit is a point of observation 

 for the setter, from which it can gat a 

 view of friends and foes. Thfl Owls 

 and Hawks from their elevated posi- 

 tion can command a fine view ot the 

 surroundings. With all aquatic birds, 

 the setter almost invariably occupies a 

 position presenting toward the wat^r. 

 Shore birds, as the Sandpiper, rest on 

 their nests in a po3f uro to best view the 

 po"d or stream. Rails and Gallinules 

 face the water, the latter usually build- 

 ing their 1 ests so that they can plunge 

 directly into their favorite channels. 

 The Loon, which b'.ilds, or rather 

 forms its nest away out from the shore 

 in a ma ! 8 of vegetable matter, often the 

 foundation of an old muskrat house, in- 

 variably face the deep, open water. From 

 this position it can slide into the lake at 

 a second's notice. Anyone can prove 

 this position of the Loon by examining 

 the premises when the owner is away. 

 The nest proper is merely a trough-like 

 depression, evidently formed by the 

 bird's efforts at hollowing, rather than 

 by building up the sides. Tnis oblong 

 depression is nearly a foot and a half 

 long, and the eggs are always placed 

 nearly two-thirds of the distance from 

 the front end. 



(To be Continued.) 



Morris Gibbs. 



