Bird Study in a Nebraska Swamp 57 



7:30 A.M. on July 4 and continued until 4:30 P.M., when 

 observations were again stopped by the wind. At the end of 

 the day the blind was taken back to the Bittern's nest to 

 continue the work there. This nest will be referred to as 

 nest B. 



In spite of the comparatively small amount of data secured 

 in these two short studies, several facts were noted. In both 

 eases the female did all the feeding, neither male approaching 

 the nest. The males were apparently in little fear of the 

 blind as they sat in the weeds only a few feet from it and 

 uttered the harsh notes characteristic of the species. On 

 several occasions the chosen perch was one of the stakes used 

 to anchor the boat. This of course does not prove that the 

 male never feeds but it is worthy of record that with scores 

 of Yellow-heads of both sexes feeding and foraging about the 

 blind we never saw a male carrying any insects away 

 althougli many females were often found to do so. The 

 males were seen hunting but always promptly devoured the 

 insects caught. The total number of feedings recorded was 

 thirty-eight for nest A and twenty-five for nest B. Table I 

 will show the character of the food given to the two broods. 



TABLE I. 



Nestling Food ix Nests A and B. 



Food. Nest A. Xest B. Total. 



Unidentifieil *lo 1 16 



Dragon fly ^ 4 



Larvae i 4 



Mayfly 27 19 46 



Grasshoppers 4 4 



Totals 50 24 74 



The amount of data here presented is too small to permit 

 of any conclusions concerning the food of the nestlings of 

 the species and yet several important facts are revealed by 

 the study. 



*An attempt to continue the observations after the wind became bad 

 explains the large number of unknowns. At nest B the blind was closed 

 as soon as the wind made it impossible to see the nest. 



