190 



ORlSriTHOLOGIST 



[Yol. 12-No. 11 



hours more watchin<jf this bird on the 23rd but 

 did not see it go near the hole. Nearly all the 

 following- afternoon was spent in this woods. 

 Botli birds were seen and the male was noticed 

 giving the female a bit of food as they were 

 clinging to the trunk of a tree. I also saw the 

 male euter the knot-hole into which my friend 

 saw it go. The next day I watched the liole a 

 short time and saw one of the birds carry in a 

 bit of bark. On May 1st I followed one of the 

 pair for some time; it did not go near the knot- 

 hole but, two days later my friend saw one en- 

 ter it, so I determined to settle all doubt about 

 the mutter. On May 7th I strapped on my 

 spurs, ascended the tree and cut open the hole, 

 only to And a large handful of oak bark with- 

 out any sign of a nest. I did not pursue this 

 pair any further. 



On April 23rd while returning home through 

 the woods from watching the above birds, 1 

 heard a low note uttered and looking up saw a 

 male Nuthatch on the trunk of a large chest- 

 nut tree, eyeing me suspiciously. 



Moving around to tlie opposite side of the 

 tree I saw a knot-hole in the trunk, thirty-five 

 feet from the ground, and very soon was pleas- 

 ed to see the bird creep to the edge of this hole 

 and look in, then it flew oft", but returned short- 

 ly with a bit of bark which it dropped in the 

 hole. On the following day I observed it 

 again and saw it carry something into the hole. 

 Fearing that if it was lett any longer I would 

 tind onlj'^ young birds, I climbed to the hole on 

 the 25th. The entrance was but two inches in 

 diameter and the bottom could not be seen, so I 

 was obliged to cut it open. This was accom- 

 plished after hacking tifteeu minutes with a 

 dull hatchet, while I clung to the trunk with 

 the assistance of one hand and the spurs. 

 Looking in I saw that the cavity was a natural 

 one and enlarged from the entrance downvvaid 

 and inward. At the further end of it, ten inch- 

 es from the entrance, and in the middle of the 

 tree, was the little nest. It was composed of 

 fine strips of inner bark and bits of rabbit fur. 

 I was nmch grieved and vexed too, however, to 

 see that it was empty; I was too earlj'. While 

 removing the chips that had fallen in I caught 

 the side of the nest accidentally. and had drag- 

 ged it out before I knew it. 1 felt that this 

 ended all possibility of the birds returning to 

 nest in this cavitj^. However, hope was re- 

 vived when as I was passing the tree on May 

 1st, bofh birds were on it. On the 7th I de- 

 termined to see if a new nest had been begun. 

 Imagine my surprise and delight on seeing that 

 there was another nest and it held eight eggs. 



The pair must have started working at their 

 second nest immediately after the first was de- 

 stroyed. I thought it very strange that they 

 should return to this hole after mj^ hatchet had 

 made such a great alteration. 



The nest was not disturbed until the 9th, 

 when as it still held the same number, the eggs 

 were taken. On blowing them it could be seen 

 that they were incubated evenly, about five 

 days as the eyes and soft bones were formed. 



The bottom of the cavity where the nest was 

 built was about eight inches wide and the space 

 not occupied by the nest was thickly covered 

 with bits of l)aik such as 1 had found in the 

 other hole. 



Whether or not this pair had the courage to 

 nest here again I do not know, as I did not visit 

 the place again. Each visit to these woods re- 

 quired a walk of four miles, so everything con- 

 sidered, it is not surprising that I look on these 

 eggs with so much esteem. 



Nesting of the Yellow-throated Vireo. 



BY FRANK L. FARLEY, ST. THOMAS, ONTARIO. 



Previous to this summer I was unacquainted 

 with this bird. On the Gth of last Maj-, while 

 walking through a piece of high woods, the 

 notes of a strange bird struck my ear. At the 

 time I thought it was a Vireo, but not knowing 

 what species, I raised my gun and brought 

 down a Yellow-throated Vireo ( Vireo flavi- 

 frons). This was the first I had ever met with. 

 Betw^een that date and the ISth of Jiine I did 

 not hear nor see another si)ecimen, but on the 

 last mentioned date, while following a path ad- 

 joining the woods before referred to, I heard 

 the scolding notes of some small bird. Look- 

 ing up more from curiosity than anything else, 

 I saw a little bird perched among the branches 

 of a tall tree. At first sight, I knew it was this 

 species. It kept up a continual "/eft," "/c/i,"' 

 "/c/i," and thinking some cause existed for its 

 apparent distress, I examined more closely and 

 soon discovered a nest some forty feet from the 

 ground, on the first limb of a lofty maple. It 

 was a very diflicult tree to climb and when the 

 limb was reached I saw my work had only just 

 begun. With my legs entwined around the 

 tree and my hands battling with the mosquitoes, 

 (at this time of the year swarming the woods) 

 I had little means left for transacting business 

 with m}^ little feathered friends. However, 

 after great exertion, I was well repaid by se- 

 curing a very handsome set of eggs and the 



