28 NATURE STUDY REVIEW [8:1— Jan., 1912 



Several times, large bettles were brought, and once, a large grass- 

 hopper. By far the greater percentage of all food, consisted of 

 insects. 



Perhaps the Red-Headed Woodpecker is liable to the accusa- 

 tion of fruit stealing. A little investigation, however, will 

 usually show, that the few cherries, so much begrudged this 

 bird, are but a slight compensation for its services as a destroyer 

 of harmful insects. 



Division of labor was practiced in the bird world, long be- 

 fore man knew of its advantages. Thus, while the family of 

 woodpeckers care for the trunk and branches of trees, other 

 groups of birds are caring for the smaller branches and the foli- 

 age, each particular group devoting its energies to the task to 

 which long specialization has peculiarly adapted it. It was with 

 the purpose of emphasizing this idea, that a study on the Brown 

 Thrasher was assigned to a class after its work on the wood- 

 peckers. 



This Thrasher's nest was located on the edge of an exten- 

 sive woods. A thick bush, about five feet high, covered pro- 

 fusely with a tangled wild grape vine, furnished a typical site 

 for the nest of a Brown Thrasher. Although well concealed, 

 an excellent view of the nest could be obtained from one side 

 without disturbing, in any way, the surrounding vines and 

 branches. Several days previous to the day for the relay study, 

 the class, on a field trip, happened to pass this spot. In order 

 that all might obtain a close look at the two young birds which 

 the nest contained, the writer reached up and placed his hand 

 on the edge of the nest, so as to tilt it slightly. Like a flash, 

 one of the parent birds flew down, attacking the hand with beak 

 and claw, by repeatedly flying at it. Not content with merely 

 beginning an attack, the bird continued this performance for a 

 minute or more, refusing to leave off its defense, until we went 

 away. 



When a few days later the students came to make their ob- 

 servations on 'the nest, however, the Thrasher paid little or no 

 attention to them. When observations began at four o'clock in 

 the morning, one of the parents, presumably the female, was on 

 the nest. Ten minutes later, she left, returning to feed the young 

 for apparently the first time, at 4 :30, twenty minutes later. From 

 this time both parent birds were busy until 7:01 in the evening 

 when the last feeding for the day occurred. During this work- 

 ing day of about 14-J hours, the Thrashers visited their nest with 

 food 90 times, or on an average of once every 9.G minutes. It 



