AMERICAN ORNITHOL OGY. 



355 



The pictures which illustrate this article are the results of his skill 

 and care. He came just in time. The young birds were evndently 

 about to fly. The old birds were calling them from the trees, and they 

 answered, tried their wings and, now and then, sprang upwards. The 

 box was opened and the camera placed in position at the window in the 

 loft at 9:50 a. m. The old birds visited the young and fed them twelve 

 times before 10:22. They brought either caterpillars or bunches of 

 ants and plant lice in their beaks and distributed them to the open 

 mouths of the eager seven in the nest. During this time the accom- 

 panying snap shots of the old birds at the entrance of the box w^ere 

 taken. A close inspection will reveal the mass of minute insects held 

 in the beak of each bird. 



^ At 10:22 the largest 

 ■^ and most active young 

 bird suddenly made a 

 dash (the glass having 

 ^ been removed for con- 

 ^ venience in taking the 

 picture) and flew direct- 

 ly three or four rods in- 

 to a maple tree, then 

 failing to maintain his 

 hold on the limbs in the 

 face of a strong breeze 

 he fluttered still farther 

 , and alighted at last in a 

 ' stone heap near by. 



This seemed rather a 



remarkable feat for the 



} first flight, and perhaps, 



; could not have been ac- 



i complished without the 



aid of the strong breeze 



then blowing. This 



L* ' - - ^ youngster was captured 



THE HOME AT THE WINDOW. and replaced in the nest, 



but again insisted on leaving and this time took two flights, reaching a 



pine tree some six rods away. The old birds now ceased feeding the 



young and began to call them. Another sprang out flying nearly as 



well as the first, going with the wind. Now one of the old birds came 



to the roof overhead and the other alighted at the entrance of the box. 



I was then at the wandow with my face close to the young, when, as 



