THE 



WILSON BULLETIN 



NO.' 79. 



A QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF ORNITHOLOGY 



VOL. XXIV JUNE, 1912. NO. 2 



OLD SERIES VOL. XXIV. NEW SERIES VOL. XIX 



A STUDY OF THE HOME LIFE OF THE BROWN 

 THRASHER, TOXOSTOMA RUFUM. (Linn.) 



BY IRA N. GAP.RIELSON. 



Introduction. 



The observations on which this paper is based were made 

 during the summer session, 1911, of the Iowa Lakeside Lab- 

 oratory, on Lake Okoboji, Iowa. The plan followed was that 

 first successfuly employed by Prof. F. H. Herrick, namely, of 

 erecting a blind at the nest and studying the birds at close 

 range. The aim of the work was to record the feeding ac- 

 tivity for several consecutive days, particularly from the eco- 

 nomic standpoint, 



The problem was suggested by Prof. T. C. Stephens, of 

 Morningside College, to whom I wish to express my grati- 

 tude for much help and many valuable suggestions in carry- 

 ing on the work and in preparing this report. I also wish to 

 thank Prof. T. H. AlacBride for the opportunity of attending 

 this session of the Laboratory. The plan could not have been 

 carried out without the help given by the workers in the 

 Laboratory, and to the following persons particularly my 

 thanks are due for assistance in carrying out the study : Miss 

 Hocbstetler, Miss Mae Gittens, Miss Gladys Price, Miss Mil- 

 dred Sykes, Miss Idyl^ie Tovey, Miss Harriet Wilson, Miss 

 Alice Yocum, and Mr. A. H. Schatz. My thanks are due 

 Miss Pearl A. Woodford, of Morningside College, for help 

 in preparing this paper. 



