2o8 Bird - Lore 



without her. How strong must be the prompting that enables a bird to control 

 her impulse to action, when she receives continually the sensations which have 

 hitherto been inseparable from action. There is no vacillating in instinctive 

 action. Nature holds to strict unquestioning obedience with a death penalty 

 for disobedience. 



The Warbler is back in her place. The nest is sheltered peculiarly well 

 bv the low viburnums and the stone wall. There is not a breath of wind there, 

 when the trees and shrubs in the open are swaying vigorously. A Song Sparrow- 

 sings from the stone wall; a Black and White Warbler is continually seesawing 

 its notes at the edge of the woods; a White-eyed Yireo calls emphatically from 

 a near tangle of green: Swifts circle and chatter above her; these are all pleasant 

 or indifferent sounds in her ears. — at least she does not stir. At the barking of 

 a dog in the woods she breathes faster and erects the feathers of her crown, 

 but still sits close. 



Her mate seldom goes far from the nest. He wanders among surrounding 

 trees and shrubs catching a fly or gnat here, a caterpillar yonder, on and back, 

 this way and that, as a child might wander, attracted now by a ripe strawberry, 

 now by a beautiful flower, shade or a convenient path. And he sings continually, 

 even as he snaps up a passing insect and while balancing himself on a wind- 

 swept branch. To human ears his song is much like that of the Redstart who 

 is nesting near, but he puts the strong accent on the next to the last note, while 

 the Redstart makes the final note emphatic. 



When twilight comes a Chestnut-sided Warbler on the nest is remarkably 

 well protected. In fact, the nest looks empty to the most observing eyes. Details 

 of the surrounding vegetation may stand out with considerable clearness but 

 the nest is emptv — one can see that the sides curve downward and the bottom, 

 quite destitute of eggs, shows distinctly. It is difficult to believe that the bird 

 is there. The streaked feathers of the back and wings of the bird seem to be 

 the grasses at the bottom of the nest, while the bird's gay-colored head is tucked 

 under her wing for the night, or if not, it blends with the nest's rim. 



Later when the eggs are hatched (thirteen days after the laying of the first 

 egg) and the Chestnut-sided Warbler is brooding the young, there comes many 

 a struggle between the maternal instinct of the bird and her fear instinct. When 

 an enemv discovers the nest and she is forced to leave, she may flutter to the 

 ground and feign a broken wing, dragging her minute self about in a pathetic 

 fashion. Finding that this is not effective, she may return to the immediate 

 vicinity of the nest. Here she sits on a small branch beside the nest. Talk to her 

 and her fear increases, yet she will not leave. Twice she nearly falls from her 

 perch, toppling forward and regaining position again. She is 'charmed' in the 

 same manner that a bird is said to be 'charmed' by a snake; that is, the snake 

 has done nothing, but the bird is a slave to its own fear. 



While she is thus occupied her mate comes to the nest three times, at each 

 visit bringing a bill full of tiny green caterpillars. 



