1SS7-I Allen, Nesting of the Pine Finch in Southern New York. 28c 



ation, and after the second day I noticed that nothing seemed to be 

 added to the structure, and my fears that they had abandoned it 

 proved true. Still the birds were about, and the female was 

 often observed with bits of nest-material in her bill. A little 

 patient watching disclosed the fact that a new nesting-site had 

 been chosen, — this time the extremity of an upper branch of a 

 neighboring Norway pine, about thirty-five feet from the ground, 

 and about the same distance from the much frequented piazza of 

 the house. As it was on the side of the tree toward the house, 

 and nearly on a level with the windows of my room, I had a fine 

 opportunity of watching the industrious little architects, although 

 the nest itself was completely hidden from view by the dense 

 pine needles in which it was placed. 



One of the birds, presumably the female, did all the work, 

 but was escorted to and from the nest by the male, who further 

 manifested his interest and joy by a profusion of Canary-like 

 tiuee-e-ts and other peculiarly sweet and pleasing notes. Later 

 the birds were more silent and much less frequently seen ; — 

 it was evident that incubation had begun. Here was certainly a 

 prize, which, in view of all the circumstances, it seemed hardly 

 right to ignore ; for the nests and eggs of the Pine Finch are by 

 no means easy to discover, are still rare in collections, and the 

 breeding of the species so far south of its usual summer home a 

 noteworthy event ; yet it required no slight struggle with tender 

 feelings to decide to break up the happy home, even in behalt 

 of science, and of the museum whose ornithological interests I 

 may be supposed to have deeply at heart. 



On May 12 I enlisted the services of my young nephew, R. T. 

 Swezey, who kindly ascended to the nest on a tour of observation, 

 finding, as was anticipated, a full clutch and the female sitting. 

 She remained on the nest till his hand touched the branch on 

 which the nest rested, when she flew oft' with a great outcry and 

 dashed frantically about for some seconds, passing and repassing 

 within a few yards of the nest, uttering such plaintive notes of 

 distress as to make the task of securing the prize indeed a sad 

 one. The nest was placed at the base of a bunch of cones within 

 a few inches of the extremity of the branch, and being thorough- 

 ly shielded on all sides by the strongly resisting, long, sharp 

 needles, it was no easy matter to reach out to the nest and, in- 

 serting the hand, safely remove the coveted treasures. The four 



