Care of Young and Nest. 



food they would stealthily enter the tree on the farther side and after a few moments fly 

 over the pond and drop what looked like a small white marble in the water below. This 

 effected, they would veer and fly off to the feeding ground. The same action was 

 repeated by birds from other nests. 



Removing the excreta piecemeal and dropping it at a safe distance, is the common 

 instinctive method not only of insuring the sanitary condition of the nest itself, but 

 what is even more important, of 

 keeping the grass and leaves below 

 free from any sign which might be- 

 tray them to an enemy. 



Many other birds, of which I 

 can now certify the Robin, Catbird, 

 Cedar Waxwing, Red-eyed Vireo, 

 Kingbird, Redwing Blackbird, Brown 

 Thrush, and Chestnut-sided Warbler, 

 devour a part and often the major 

 part of the excreta at the nest. 

 This is a very common practice 

 with the Warbler, Robin, Waxwing, 

 and Vireo, but was only casually 

 observed in Catbirds and Brown 

 Thrushes. 



The Robin has undoubtedly 

 been seen by many in the character- 

 istic pose shown in a number of the 

 photographs standing on the rim of 

 the nest with the head erect, or in- 

 clined as if doting on her young 

 ones and thinking what fine children 

 they were, whereas this attitude is 

 really one of sanitary inspection. 

 When an old bird of any of the 

 species mentioned above has fed one 

 of the brood, its duty is but half 

 done ; it pauses, bends over, and 

 keenly scrutinizes each young bird in turn and every part of the nest. Shortly after 

 being fed, the nestling becomes very uneasy, and raises its body as if to drop the sac 

 over the edge of the nest. The old bird follows every movement, snaps up the 

 package as it leaves the body, and either swallows it immediately or carries it off. 

 When seen flying from the nest with head depressed, the Robin is usually engaged 

 in errands of this kind. The Robins and Cedar-birds have frequently been seen to take 

 the sacs from two or three birds in rapid succession, in which case they are always de- 

 voured on the spot. The Robin will often convey the package to any convenient 

 perch, and after examining it, devour a part, or reject the whole. While watching Rob- 

 ins from the tent I have seen them carry the excreta thirty rods away before letting it 



Fig. 101. Brown Thrush cleaning the nest. 



