JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIKTY. IO9 



in my presence. One little bird after another pushed its way to 

 the top of the nest, pecked at the oil gland on the rump, wet its 

 beak with oil, then dragged up one wing slowly from the bird-mass 

 and pulled it through its moistened mandibles, feather by feather 

 from the root of the feather to the tip. It preened the other wing 

 in like manner.* After moistening the beak with oil, the little 

 Warblers rested ; after preening a wing the bird rested ; moistened 

 the beak once more, rested ; drew up the other wing, rested ; preened 

 the wing and rested again. The nestling was fed a number of times 

 while this tidying process was going on. After the parent bird pre- 

 sented it with one more tidbit, and carried the ordure away, the nest- 

 ling was ready to let another little bird press to the top in its place. 

 Often there was a struggle between two of the young birds, for the 

 next opportunity to exercise. 



At this time it took almost the entire time of the parent birds to 

 feed the young and carry away the excrement. 



Somewhere near 7.30 P. M. the male fed the nestlings and flew 

 away for the night. I remained until it was so dark I was unable 

 to distinguish the nest, but the female seemed to have completed her 

 round of duties before I arrived. 



June 30th. Two birds were out of the nest this afternoon. One 

 fledgeling sat on a branch just under the nest. The mother bird 

 went to feed it. The young bird, in its excitement, flew from a fir 

 branch to a maple and alighted on a mass of leaves. It went flutter- 

 ing through but managed to guide itself to a low fir. Great was 

 the consternation in Bird I^and. Both parents hovered near me, 

 crawling around me in narrowing circles, their wings and tails spread 

 and dragging on the ground. They mounted dead stumps and 

 branches and fell helplessly off. They were very beautiful as they 

 fluttered around me, quivering with solicitude for the safety of the 

 young. The three remaining birds snuggled down in the nest as 

 if they thought it a good place to be in for a time yet. 



On the eleventh day, July ist, the last fledgeling was sitting on 



*Mrs. N. C. King, of Ellsworth, Maine, first called my attention to the preening of Chicka- 

 dees in the nest. The Chickadees are fourteen da.vs old when they venture into the world and 

 perform their toilets ideally. 



