Vol.^XXVlIJ Stanwood, The Black-throated Green Warbler. 293 



the second day the rim of the nest seemed about completed. It 

 was narrower than the rest of the cup and beautifully turned. 

 Nothing to speak of had been done to the bottom. On the fourth 

 day, by touching the inside of the nest with the tips of my fingers, 

 I judged that the lining was about finished. It consisted of rabbit- 

 hair and horse-hair, felted or woven together so as to be very thick 

 and firm. Between the foundation of twigs and bark and the 

 hair lining was a layer of fine hay of which the mouth of the nest 

 was chiefly shaped. I never saw a more substantial looking little 

 nest. It was also one of the most beautiful I have ever found, a 

 perfect harmony in grays. 



After the fourth day I never surprised the birds in the vicinity 

 of the nest. I began to fear that they had deserted. It was not 

 until the 6th of June that I found the first egg. The four eggs 

 were laid on four consecutive days, before 9 a. m., and the bird 

 began to incubate before 10.30 A. m. of the fourth day. By stand- 

 ing on a rock under the tree, and pulling the branch down slightly, 

 I could just see the eggs. I went often to the nest during the 

 twelve days the female was incubating. When I put my face 

 almost against the nest and talked to her, she simply turned her 

 head and looked at me, and chipped two or three times very gently. 

 She would leave the eggs only when I put up my hand as if to touch 

 her. 



On the fourth day the eyes of the nestlings were open a narrow 

 slit; the wing quills were one half inch long; the pin feathers were 

 indicated on the feather tracts; and the whole bird had taken on a 

 more or less dark-brown leathery appearance. 



On the sixth day I remained a long time near the nest. The 

 parent birds came with food. The male called sint, sint in a sharp 

 metallic tone all the time I was there and refused to feed the young. 

 After a time the female ceased scolding and brought food several 

 times, and carried away excrement. Then she crouched on the 

 side of the nest, holding on by her claws which were thrust firmly 

 into the walls. 



On the eighth day, the nest was simply stuffed full of little 

 green-gray birds, strikingly like the color of the nest. 



On the tenth day, I pulled the nest almost down to my face to 

 see the wing bars of the nestlings. The old birds chirped a little 

 but were not annoyed. 



