4^0 Stockard, Woodpeckers and Vultures in Mississippi. \ocx 



wide, it ran back six feet, and the top was two and one half feet 

 above the floor. The two eggs lay in the back of this cave. It 

 was claimed that the place had been occupied by this pair and 

 their young reared in it for many seasons. 



March 29, 1902, a Black Vulture's nest was found situated 

 about sixty feet up in a huge poplar tree which stood in a cotton 

 field that had been cleared for five years. In the crotch of this 

 tree there was a large hollow running down about three feet and 

 slightly sheltered above by the inclination of one of the limbs that 

 formed the crotch. The eggs were deposited on the floor of this 

 hollow. This was the only nest of this species that was observed 

 more than a few feet from the ground. It is probable that the 

 birds occupied this tree while it stood in the woods and when the 

 land was cleared in 1897 the tree, being a large one, was deadened 

 and left standing and the birds continued to use it as a nesting 

 site. 



I had now seen it well demonstrated that Vultures did use the 

 same nest season after season even though the eggs were taken 

 the previous year. But in the years 1901, 1902 and 1903 very 

 interesting data were obtained relating to this phenomenon. 

 March 16, 1901, I was directed to a hollow gum tree in which 

 a Black Vulture was said to have reared its young for several 

 years. The bird flew from the nest and exposed two eggs, which 

 were taken and found to be in an advanced state of incubation. 

 In December, 1901, and January, 1902, the tree was visited and 

 the hollow was seen to be littered with fresh excrement and pos- 

 sessed a characteristic odor. It was evident that the birds fre- 

 quented the place, and probably roosted there. March 8, 1902, 

 she laid the first egg of the new set. This must have been two or 

 three weeks later than her first &g^ of 1901 ; the much colder 

 winter may have caused the delay. The second egg was laid on 

 the nth, three days later, and then the set of fresh eggs was taken 

 from the nest. April 19, thirty-nine days after, on visiting the 

 nest the vulture flew off and the hollow was found to contain an- 

 other set of two eggs, which were taken and proved to be incu- 

 bated about two weeks. This was the only case actually observed 

 of the Black Vulture's laying a second set in one season. In 

 December and January of the following winter the tree was visited 



