74 UPLAND AND MEADOW. 



margin of the nest: these were promptly removed. Ou 

 replacing many of these in the nest, the entire lining 

 was thrown out. I replaced it, and the nest was aban- 

 doned. 



A week later, finding another nest with three eggs, I 

 added a few white cat-hairs to the lining : these were 

 removed. Others of dark colors were added : they, also, 

 were removed. I replaced both dark and white hairs : 

 the eggs were broken, and the nest abandoned. 



Did the sense of smell, in this case, lead them to sus- 

 pect that a cat was prowling about? Birds are not al- 

 ways, perhaps not usually, disturbed by the chance oc- 

 currence of a foreign object in their nest. Stray 

 feathers, bits of thread, a piece of paper, any such ob- 

 jects carried by the wind may settle upon a nest, and 

 will simply be pushed aside. In this case, it would 

 seem that the hair was recognized as something not so 

 likely to be carried by a passing breeze, and only the 

 near proximity of the cat could explain its presence, 

 therefore danger threatened them. Have we not here 

 a complicated process of reasoning and a logical conclu- 

 sion drawn by these birds ? 



Four eggs found in a third nest were removed with- 

 out touching the nest, a wooden spoon whittled for the 

 purpose being used. In three days the female com- 

 menced laying again : four days later three eggs had 

 been laid. I replaced the four I had removed : they 

 were promptly thrown out. I then removed the nest, 

 and, substituting another, carefully replaced the eggs 

 without handling them. After what appeared to be a 

 serious consultation, the new nest was accepted. These 



