Illustrations of the Method 49 



was anxious to see how they would stand the test of a sudden 

 change in their surroundings. Accordingly I watched 



with unusual care two nests which were found near 



Kingbird 

 my house. On the thirteenth day of June one had 



two and the other four eggs all freshly laid, and these appeared 

 to be the full complement. Young were hatched in each nest 

 on or near the twenty-fifth of the month. 



The first nest was built at the top of a hill, about a rod from 

 an Oriole's nest (Figs. 35, 96), on the horizontal limb of a small 

 apple tree twelve feet from the ground, and was a conspicuous 

 object to all who passed that way. The nesting bough was 

 removed and mounted in a good position on the morning of 

 July 2d, and the tent was closed at half-past eight o'clock. At 

 this time the two young were six days old and covered with 

 light gray down. While the operation was in progress the old 

 birds hovered over the nest, and with their usual boldness 

 swooped down close to my head, snapping their bills and utter- 

 ing their piercing alarms. 



After the tent was closed, much to my surprise all became 

 quiet, and I could see both birds the female with insect in bill 

 exploring the nesting tree twenty feet away. She would fly 

 to that point in space which the nest formerly occupied, and 

 hover over it repeatedly, a characteristic action of many if not 

 all birds under such circumstances, and is a good illustration of 

 the force of habit. Ten minutes later the female was again at 

 the nesting tree with insects. For an hour afterwards all was 

 quiet. The old birds were sitting by in silence, probably not 

 far away. At ten minutes before eleven o'clock one of the pair, 

 probably trie ''female, came with a swoop to the nesting branch, 

 and I believe fed her young. In this case the observer had to 

 wait two hours and twenty minutes before having the birds 

 close to his eye, but he was well repaid for the delay as the 

 sequel will show. In one minute the mother had returned and 

 now both began to make up for lost time. In five hours and six 

 minutes (from 10.50 A.M. to 4.36 P.M., allowing for an inter- 

 mission of forty minutes when the observer was away), the old 

 birds made seventy-five visits to the nest. Not only had they 



