420 Kennard, Breeding Habits of Rusty Blackbird. Uuly 



tinguishable from those of the other species." As I have noted 

 with other species, the last laid egg may be less heavily marked; 

 particularly if the birds have been disturbed in previous settings. 

 In the two last sets of the trout brook pair, the last laid eggs were 

 grayer and without the glaze of the others. Apparently they run 

 out of pigment towards the last. 



The female usually starts incubation with the laying of the first 

 egg, particularly in the early spring, when the weather is cold, and 

 sits pretty close, flying off only upon one's near approach. Par- 

 ticularly shy birds may, when disturbed, disappear without utter- 

 ing a note, but the great majority that I have observed will re- 

 main in the vicinity of the nest, uttering their loud "chips" of 

 alarm, becoming more and more distressed, when disturbed, as in- 

 cubation progresses, until after the hatching they are particular- 

 ly vociferous. During incubation the male is very assiduous in 

 his attentions to the female, feeding her frequently, and seldom 

 flies far from the nesting locality. The female at this season is 

 usually seldom in evidence, but by watching the male, one can 

 soon determine by his actions the approximate locality of the nest. 

 He has the very conspicuous habit of sitting on the top of some 

 tall dead stub or tree, often with a nice fat grub in his bill and 

 calling to the female. This call note is a two-syllabled "conk-ee, " 

 very similar to the three-syllabled "conk-a-ree" of the Redwing, 

 but clearer and more musical, and usually distinguishable from 

 the notes of the other blackbirds. 



If disturbed by the proximity of watchers, he may delay for a 

 while, uttering an occasional "chip" of alarm, but sooner or later 

 he will fly close to the nest or to the top of some nearby stub, when 

 the female will fly out to him, and with low "chucks" and much 

 fluttering of wings, partake of the delicious morsel he has brought 

 her. The knowledge of this habit, acquired during our second trip, 

 greatly simplified our hunts during succeeding seasons. 



It has so happened that I have never been able, from personal 

 observation, to check up the exact time of incubation, but Ben- 

 dire states it to be "about two weeks" and Dr. Bergtold states 

 that it is "14 days." 



The young, when hatched, are covered with a long, thin, fuscous 

 natal down; and fed by both parents, at frequent intervals, de- 



