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ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 9-No. 12 



males may be seen hanging head down- 

 wards or flying from one old mossy limb 

 to another, swinging, turning and twisting 

 in their merriment at once more being 

 among their nesting haunts. 



Soon after their arrival the females 

 come, and the mating at once takes place. 

 No jealousy is displayed and the ceremony 

 goes on quietly. The building process 

 takes place about the 20th of May and the 

 nest is finished in about a week, though I 

 have known instances when the second 

 nest was built and two eggs deposited in 

 a week. The second nest is never (?) as 

 compact and neat as the first. It is al- 

 most entirely composed of the hanging 

 Spanish moss with perhaps a few horse 

 hairs or a little downy substance to serve 

 as a lining. Three to five eggs are then 

 deposited and incubation (in which the 

 male participates) commences. Some col- 

 lectors think the nest hard to find. I gen- 

 erally discover mine by the round, globu- 

 lar shape of the bottom of the mossy 

 bunch from which it is seldom any shreds 

 of moss hang. It is easy to be distin- 

 guished when the moss of the tree is not 

 too thick. After the young are hatched 

 the parent birds are busily engaged in 

 feeding the wide, open-mouthed youngsters 

 with tiny larva; from under the bark of old 

 trees. The Blue Yellow-backed Warbler, 

 though owning a rather large name, fully 

 merits it. I have but a few times been 

 able to see a lively bird in motion, so that 

 I could study its habits and actions. 



In June, 1883, I came across a mossy 

 orchard from which I had before collected 

 eggs, and my first find was a nest contain- 

 ing one fresh egg; the next, a nest con- 

 tained four downy young, for whom the 

 parents pleaded in their best words ; and 

 the last, but by no means the least, a full 

 fresh set (four eggs.) As I ascended, the 

 bird (a male) put its head and shoulders 

 just out of the tiny door, peered about for 

 a moment and then left the nest, just as I 



was about to put my hand over the en- 

 trance and make it a prisoner. My fingers 

 dashed loosely through the outstretched 

 primaries and the bird was flown. My 

 next object was to secure the set and nest 

 and transfer them safely to the ground. 

 In doing this I was obliged to spoil the 

 nest, as is too often the case when the 

 nest is far from the ground, and especially 

 if the branch or limb is of a stout oak. 

 The thickly entwined and matted moss 

 was no easy thing to tear, and the branch 

 being a stout one, it was of no use trying 

 to break or cut it, as any jostling would 

 have a tendency to roll the eggs together 

 and possibly crack one or more, as I once 

 found to my own cost. The hole was too 

 small to admit more than the forefinger ; 

 so whipping my knife from my pocket, I 

 quickly slashed the moss in twain and 

 putting the hanging ends between my 

 teetb, I descended with my beauties with- 

 out the least injury. There are other 

 experiences I might relate but for want of 

 space. 



Another thing which I would like to 

 speak about this bird is its perseverance. 

 In about twenty days I got three sets, all 

 out of one tree. The second, if not the 

 third, was laid by the same bird. One 

 nest I found was about three feet from the 

 ground. 



In 1881 I collected two sets of this ex- 

 quisite little Warbler ; in 1882 the list was 

 increased to five sets ; in 1883 I collected 

 four sets, besides some single eggs : and 

 in 1884 but four sets were taken. I should 

 probably have taken more last season but 

 for mj' limited time. The eggs are of a 

 pure white ground, sprinkled chiefly, about 

 the larger end by small, reddish dots and 

 a few blotches, One set before me is cov- 

 ered from apex to base with small dots. 



In conclusion I would say that I should 

 be most happy to hear from others on the 

 habits and nesting of the Blue Yellow- 

 backed Warbler. — Charles H. Andro.s, 

 Taunton, Mass. 



