506 DAN BEARD'S ANIMAL BOOK 



Mr. Nuttal was the first naturalist, I believe, 

 to record the observation of these two-story nests. 

 Baird mentions 



A THREE-STORY NEST, 



each of the lower nests containing the eggs of the 

 cow blackbird, the whole structure being seven 

 inches high. 



After writing the above I received a copy of 

 "Bright Feathers," in which Mr. Rathburn de- 

 scribes and illustrates a three-story nest that was 

 found upon a honeysuckle. I mentioned the fact 

 of three-story nests being sometimes found, but this 

 one described by Rathburn is an interesting speci- 

 men from the fact that the second compartment is 

 said to have contained one cow blackbird's egg and 

 one of the legitimate eggs of the yellow warbler. 

 According to Baird Mr. Nuttal says that, "Where 

 the parasitic egg is laid after her own, the sum- 

 mer yellowbird acts faithfully the part of foster 

 parent." But from the specimen described by Mr. 

 Rathburn we must be led to believe with Mr. 

 Baird that the yellowbird will not act the part of 

 foster parent, and rather than do so will sacrifice 

 her own eggs with those of the obnoxious cow 

 blackbird. 



MANY-STORIED BIRDS* NESTS. 



In 1882 a friend of Mr. W. L. Scott, of the 

 Ottawa Field Naturalists' Club, found a nest of 



