74 BLL'E VELI.OW-BACKED WARBLER. 



watch the birds as they come and go to and from the nests. In 

 height from the ground the nests vary from five to twenty 

 feet. I will give examples of a few nests found this summer 

 (1902). On June 30, when in company with some pupils, 

 a nest was discovered in a red cedar, not over five feet from 

 the ground, and another in the same tree, about ten feet up. 

 On July I I found another in a white cedar, some six feet 

 high; but neither of these nests contained eggs, having been 

 freshly built. On July 5 a nest was observed by some of my 

 pupils in a white cedar, the birds having been seen going to it. 

 This was about fifteen feet up, and on the tenth of the month 

 was found to contain three eggs. On the twentieth I found 

 either this nest or another in the same tree, at about the same 

 height, but empty. As an exception to the rule that the nests 

 of the Blue Yellow-backs are always placed in cedars, I can 

 cite an instance where a pair built in a lichen-covered apple 

 tree that stands on my place not far from the house. The 

 nest was placed about six feet from the ground. This was in 

 the summer of 1898, and the birds succeeded in rearing a 

 brood there. All of the nests of this species that I have seen 

 have been placed at the extremity of branches. 



The young leave the nest about the first of August, and 

 in company with their parents wander about the country, but 

 as the males have ceased singing, it is not easy to find birds 

 of this species of any age at this time. Last summer I looked 

 in vain for them for some days before I found any, then I came 

 quite unexpectedly upon a little family, consisting of a female 

 and two young. My attention was attracted to them by hear- 

 ing the low% twittering cry of the mother. All were together 

 in an apple tree when I first saw them, and permitted me to 

 approach very near them, but finally flew away into some 

 neighboring pines. The young, although fully grown, were 

 still in the nestling plumage, and were being fed by the old 

 bird, but I did not hear them utter any cr}\ 



