282 Stockard, Nesting Habits of Mississippi Birds. (~tul k 



dow and does not seem to object to having its eggs and young closely 

 observed, provided they are not touched. Orchards and roadsides are 

 their favorite nesting places. The nest is rather large and often bulky, 

 the outer foundation consisting of coarse sticks ; it is lined with various 

 materials, such as moss, root fibres, etc. In 1902 a Mockingbird's nest 

 was found in a hollow of an old pine stump, the only nest observed in 

 such a place. Several nests were seen placed between the rails of fences 

 and in piles of dead brush. 



On May 30, 1897, two nests were found which contained runt or dimin- 

 utive eggs; one held a single runt and three normal eggs while the other 

 contained three runts about one third the natural size and one normal 

 egg. These nests were in hawthorn bushes on the slope of a hill and 

 not more than twenty-five paces apart. This is singular, since so few runts 

 were seen among the great number of eggs observed. 



While noting many Mockingbirds' nests the following happenings 

 were observed : — If a nest and eggs were removed the parents would 

 build another nest and deposit a second set of eggs, while on the other 

 hand, as was seen in several cases, if by some mishap one or several eggs 

 became broken in the nest the birds did not attempt to build or lay again 

 that season, though they remained in the immediate vicinity. 



The sets consisted of four or five eggs, and a series of them presented 

 great differences in size, color, and markings. The earliest eggs were 

 seen April 20, 1S96, and the latest on June 24, 1S99. 



74. Galeoscoptes carolinensis. Catbird. — The Catbird was found 

 more or less abundantly in most parts of the State ; some localities, how- 

 ever, seemed entirely without them. In the east central portion they 

 nest in the bushes bordering lakes, and the nests often overhang the 

 water. They also nested in gardens and orchards and at times very near 

 houses. The earliest complete set was noted on May 2, 1900, and the 

 latest on June 17, 1899. All sets contained four eggs. 



75. Toxostoma rufum. Brown Thrasher. — This was one of the 

 commonest species observed. They were found in the bushes along the 

 edges of woods, in orchards and along the roadsides. The nests were 

 usually placed in low bushes and vines, but some were high up in trees, 

 and two were found on the ground under the edges of small brush piles. 

 April 21, 1900, the earliest set was noted and June 8, 1899, the latest 

 unhatched eggs were seen. A series of sets from this bird show great 

 variations in their ground color and markings. Four or five eggs 

 composed the sets. In the spring of 1897 a nest of the Mockingbird 

 containing two of its own eggs also contained one egg of the Brown 

 Thrasher. 



76. Thryothorus ludovicianus. Carolina Wren. — More different 

 places were selected by this bird for nesting sites than by any other 

 observed. Nests were noted in tin cans placed under the eaves of sheds, 

 in the eaves of well-houses, between the logs of cotton houses, in the hol- 

 lows of low stumps, on the timbers under country bridges, between the 



