no JOURNAI, OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



a branch near the nest at 5 o'clock in the afternoon. It was there 

 late in the evening. Early in the morning, the family were gone. 



The nest, inside, measured 2^ by 2^ inches ; depth i:^ inches ; 

 width outside 3^ inches, length 4^ inches ; depth 2 inches. (These 

 measurements were taken after the young left the nest.) 



In constructing the nest, a few bits of hay were placed on the 

 horizontal fork of several twigs. Then fine spruce twigs were fas- 

 tened to the various points of attachment by spider's warp and woof. 

 The nest was shaped of these twigs. The lining consisted of a very 

 few bits of the runner of cinquefoil, a very few pine needles and 

 much horsehair and human hair. 



The parent birds kept the nest immaculate. When the nest- 

 ing period was over, the male and female looked as plump and 

 gorgeous as when they took up their duties. 



August 24th, the woods were full of migrating Chickadees, Red- 

 breasted Nuthatches, and Golden-crowned Kinglets. Among these 

 I came upon a small company of Bay-breasted Warblers, Magnolia 

 Warblers and Ovenbirds, evidently a part of the already receding 

 tide of bird life. 



Note.— In 1909, the Bay-breast appeared in its usual haunts. May 27th, it was seen at nest- 

 ing: time in various widely separated ranges, but presumably the same pair nested in the same 

 locality. I saw the male bird somewhere near the nest four times, the female once. The nest 

 was ten feet up in a clump of four slender firs, situated about four inches from the trunlc and 

 eighteen from the tip of the branch. The nest, sitting on some branching twigs, was concealed 

 so skillfull.v I often had doubts as to its reality. The birds were never seen on or within three 

 yards of the nest, but having studied the habits of the bird in detail the year before, I did not 

 spend much time in watching them after feeling assured that they were nesting on tlie rise 

 above the swale. The material of the nest was identical with that of last summer. I obtained 

 the nest by chopping down the tree when the nesting period was well gone. At that time a hair 

 bird had robbed it of its lining for its near-by nest. There were no dead branches on these 

 trees. My attention was called to the birds' whereabouts in almost every case this spring by the 

 see-saw song. 



Leaves from a Diary. 



Aug. 4, 1909. Arrived at my destination at 3.30 P. M., and 

 find myself in Oxford County, long noted for its pine forests, its 

 gems, its flora, its birds and — its "Oxford Bears." While all these 

 are of interest to me, I hope to be fortunate in finding birds, al- 

 though this is the month when they are in retirement. 



