1:32 -LIFE-HISTORIES OF BIRDS 



our notice. Whilst the digging process is going on, the chips 

 are not allowed to accumulate, but are carried out by the 

 bill, or scraped out by the feet, nearly as fast as they arc 

 made. The excavation being made, which usually requires 

 from seven to eight days, the female begins as early as the 

 ensuing day to deposit her complement of eggs, either upon 

 the bare though highly smooth ened bottom, or upon the feu 

 chips which have been inadvertently or purposely left behind. 



The number of eggs laid varies from four to six, most gen- 

 erally the former. These are deposited upon consecutive- 

 days, at the rate of one egg per day. As soon, as the full 

 set is laid, the female begins to incubate, and thus continues 

 for a period of about twelve days, when her wearied services 

 are repaid by the appearance of the young. The male does 

 not appear to render her any assistance in these trying duties, 

 save to furnish her with the necessary articles of diet. As 

 a usual thing, he is at some distance from the nest, and only 

 makes his appearance when needed in times of danger, or 

 when summoned by the call of his mate. 



The young remain in the nest until they are able to fly. 

 which is usually the case in about four weeks after hatching. 

 They are objects of particular solicitude on the part of the 

 parents, who exert themselves with no little zeal to provide 

 sufficient food for their voracious appetites. Their food 

 consists, at first, of the caterpillars of Zci'cnc catena ria. 

 Anisopteryx vernata, A, pometaria, Anisota rnbi- 

 cunda, Eudryas grata, Clisiocampa americana, small 

 butterflies, aphides, small spiders, and later, beetles, and 

 larger lepidoptera. They remain with the parents for a 

 short time after leaving the nest, but soon separate and scat- 

 ter themselves over the surrounding country in pursuit of 

 subsistence ; the parents doing likewise. 



In the Middle States, this species appears to raise but a 

 single brood ; while in theCarolinas and Georgia, it is double- 

 brooded, according to the authority of Audubon. 



The eggs are oblong and equally rounded at each extrem- 



