348 LIFE-HISTORIES OF BIRDS 



tion of the nest. Sitting commences on the 

 following day, and continues for 13 days. 



While the female is thus occupied, the male- 

 bird is very cautious, seldom remaining in close 

 proximity to the nest, for fear of revealing its 

 whereabouts; but steals into the neighborhood 

 after certain intervals, to supply her with food. 

 When the nest has been stumbled upon and his 

 mate is constrained to abandon it, the male does 

 not forsake his hiding-place to come to the rescue. 

 The female, however, by various strategic move- 

 ments, labors to divert the intruder, by imitating 

 the actions and cries of a crippled bird, until she 

 has decoyed the inexperienced to a remote dis- 

 tance, when she throws off the guise of hypocrisy, 

 and quickly disappears. With those who are 

 trained to such experiences, this ruse does not suc- 

 ceed, and the disappointed parent often beholds 

 with feelings of sorrow, her nest and its contents 

 despoiled by ruthless hands. 



Both parents are extremely assiduous in their 

 devotions to the young, and carefully and faithfully 

 administer to their wants. They feed them with 

 the larvae of various insects, besides mature forms 

 of diptera and lepidoptera. The larvae of Anisop- 

 teryx vernata, A. pometaria, Ennomos subsignaria, 

 Chcerodes transvcrsata, Colias philodice, Eufitchia 

 ribearia. Hybernia tiliaria, besides Ortalis, Scato- 

 phag'a, Antkomya, among diptera; and Cynips 

 among hymenoptera, aphides, and earthworms. 



The young are from 13 to 14 days old when 



