2 2 AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 



From this time forth the parents remained in the vicinity of the nest 

 when I was about. Several incidents occurred to relieve the monotony 

 of waiting, although probably the birds would have returned to the nest 

 sooner if the interruptions had been omitted. I had just settled down 

 to business, and the Thrush was showing signs of returning for her 

 portrait, when a fusilade of shots came from the edge of the wood. 

 Soon a twenty-five year old boy appeared, armed with a small repeat- 

 ing rifle. He passed by, about twenty yards from me, and showed his 

 sporting proclivities by firing at everything animate that appeared, and, 

 when he could see no living thing to try his skill upon, he would fire at 

 the surrounding trees, just for excitement. I kept close watch of him 

 to see that he did not notice the camera, for he certainly would have 

 tried to hit it, although his enthusiasm far exceeded his skill, for he 

 missed everything that he fired at while he was within my view. 



After the temporary excitement had subsided, the mother bird, with 

 her beak filled with grubs, began her maneuvers about the nest. After 

 inspecting the camera closely, from several points of view, she descend- 

 ed to the ground and walked completely around the nest several times, 

 each circuit bringing her nearer to the goal, and raising my hopes of 

 obtaining her photopraph. Each time when she came to the small tube 

 which connected the camera shutter with my place of concealment, she 

 would stop and look it over carefully, then cautiously step over and in- 

 spect it from the other side, before continuing her tramp. Finally she 

 hopped on the edge of the nest to deliver her load to the expectant 

 young, and my longed for chance had come. 



We went through this same operation several times during the next 

 few days, but with the exception of the one shown here the results were 

 a failure from my point of view. This photograph shows but three 

 birds whereas there were four. One of them did not see the parent 

 bird returning and the others in their eagerness to be fed, walked all 

 over him. 



On one other occasion, after the shooting episode, my solicitude in 

 regard to the safety of the camera was aroused. This little piece of 

 woods was used as shelter from the heat by a number of cows. On one 

 of the days when I was present, one of them noticed the camera, and 

 having an inquisitive disposition, she proceeded to investigate. Al- 

 though there were leaves of the same kind on every hand, she persist- 

 ed in eating those on the branch that shielded the camera, and seemed 

 to take it unkindly when I was forced to drive her away. 



And now we come to the closing chapter of my observations, and a 

 sad one it is. On nearly every day that I was in the woods, I either 

 saw or heard two dogs prowling through the underbrush. One of these 



