50 OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS 



to offer little chance of pursuit. Safe in the 

 shelter of the woods he would make a meal at 

 his leisure. The Naturalist, being familiar 

 with their habits, often observed them in their 

 raids, while Tommy Jones and his neighbors 

 swore at Father Red-tail soaring afar in the 

 upper air. 



The Naturalist had heard the shrill call, 

 used only in the nesting season, many times be- 

 fore he was able to locate the nest. The loca- 

 tion chosen was as far from a house as could 

 well be found in that thickly settled neighbor- 

 hood. It was placed under the sheltering 

 leaves of a heavy growth of Virginia creeper, 

 in a walnut tree, thirty-five feet above ground. 

 The tree grew near the river about half a mile 

 from the nearest human habitation. So clev- 

 erly was it hidden from sight that even after 

 the Naturalist had discovered its location, he 

 could scarcely see it from the ground. 



It was on June 8 that he first climbed the 

 tree and examined the nest. The structure was 

 about the size of a crow's nest but composed 

 of much smaller twigs. Most of the twigs 

 used were not larger than those used by the 

 wren in making her home, and few of them 

 were as large as a lead pencil. There was only 



