9° 



THE NIDIOLOGIST 



net before rearing her annual brood, and suc- 

 ceeded, but it ])roved a forced contribution, for 

 she did not perform her part as kindly and 

 generously as would have seemed due to the 

 distinguished honor tendered of being repre- 

 sented in that exalted position. The nth of 

 May I thought would be about the right time, 

 and 1 rapped boldly at the door, but received 

 no response ; again even more vigorously, but 

 all remained as silent as a winter landscape. 

 At last I ventured to insert my finger in the 

 doorway, but withdrew it as suddenly as if I 

 had found a rattlesnake within, for the most 

 startling " puff " was sprung on me that imagina- 

 tion could conceive, performed, 1 think, chiefly 

 by the wings, but it sounded as it would if a 

 person should draw in a full breath, close the 

 lips, then forcibly explode the breath. 



This sound was repeated whenever I inserted 

 my finger at the entrance. At last I bethought 

 myself of a little strategy. Concealing myself 

 behind a tree a short distance away I waited a 

 while to see if the bird's curiosity would not 

 induce her to come out of her castle and dis- 

 cover the invader of her peace. The ruse suc- 

 ceeded. She came out and began calling for 

 help, and help came from every ([uarter — 

 Chickadees from the east. Chickadees from the 

 west, and Chickadees from the south and from 

 the north — I did not suppose there were so 

 many within a mile as gathered around me 

 when I prepared to remove the eggs with my 

 little scoop. Judging from the noise they 

 made there seemed a hundred — but really the 

 noise was no basis for estimation of numbers, 

 since each bird was doing its utmost to make 

 noise enough for a dozen at least. Paying 

 little heed to the din, I proceeded to possess 

 myself of the seven desired specimens one by 

 one, and had nearly completed the transfer to 

 my collecting box, when one little saucy vixen, 

 which had been loudest and boldest of all, 

 perching within two feet of me as 1 worked, 

 sprang into the breach at an instant when my 

 ■scoop was withdrawn, took possession, and de- 

 fied me. She held the fort and would not be 

 removed. After several ineffectual efforts at 

 dislodgment to secure the remainder of the 

 set without breaking down the house, I gave it 

 up, and waited till another day, when 1 secured 

 the remaining eggs in the absence of their brave 

 defender. 



On May 28, a little over two weeks later, I 

 interviewed the family again and found that 

 another set of eggs had been laid and incuba- 

 tion was in progress. The brood was success- 

 fully reared, and were fre(|uent visitors to my 

 orchard the succeeding season. 1 think they 

 rear but one brood in a season. 'I'he usual 

 number of eggs is six or seven, but eight is not 



an uncommon number, and 1 have found in- 

 cubated sets of five, and even four; and in- 

 cubation is not begun till the set is completed, 

 when the female sits very close, and the male 

 bird feeds her, beginning even before the nest 

 is completed. They usually excavate their own 

 house in some decayed stub regardless of 

 height, for 1 have seen them at twenty-five feet 

 above the ground and again within six inches 

 of it, the male and female working alternately at 

 the excavation. Yet they do not despise a 

 convenient nest of the Downy Woodpecker 

 when good oi)portunity is offered with no con- 

 tending possessor. 



Pretty little birds, I think them above all 

 others sa//s reproche, and models of propriety 

 among the feathered denizens of the woods. 



A pair nested in a bird house hung upon an 

 outbuilding for Bluebirds two years ago, and 

 successfully reared their brood, and 1 ho])ed 

 they would repeat it last year, but they failed to 

 return. This is the only instance of the kind 

 that has ever come to my knowledge. I wish 

 they would come in numbers. I would gladly 

 build them houses in any style of art to their 

 taste, for I love to gather the birds around me, 

 Martins, the Bluebirds, the Wrens, and none 

 should have a warmer welcome than little 

 Panis. J. N. Clark. 



Old Saybrook, Conn. 



Notes from an Ostrich Farm. 



THE death is reported on a South African 

 Ostrich farm of a male Ostrich named 

 Saul, who was known to be at least 

 fifty-five years of age. 



Every Ostrich farmer in Africa has his camp, 

 which varies in size considerably, from 3,000 to 

 8,000 acres, and in it he keeps from 300 to 

 500 birds, as well as a few cattle and horses. 

 A cam]) is always selected as being the best 

 |jiece of grazing ground on the farm, and capa- 

 ble of holding more stock in proportion than 

 any other part of the farm. Here the birds 

 remain year in and year out, and are only col- 

 lected and brought together, on the average, 

 once every four months. 



An Ostrich, like most other animals, in its 

 wild state, is terribly afraid of man or of any 

 unfamiliar sight, and flees at the appearance of 

 anything new to its ken. When domesticated 

 it becomes docile, and after a time assumes 

 a position of authority and becomes master of 

 the situation. From Juneujj to September, or, 

 in fact, until Christmas, thousands of chicks 

 are raised every year, and thousands meet with 

 death every year from some sort of accident. 



