54 



IOWA OKNITHOLOGIST. 



noting anything in particular. 



June 15th, 1894, found me 

 sitting resting in this little grove, 

 after a hot and unsuccessful tramp 

 over the fields. As I reclined in 

 the shade, my eyes wandering 

 from tree to tree, suddenly there 

 seemed to develop the form of a 

 nest, which proved to be that of 

 a Traill's Flycatcher, situated in 

 a sapling under which I had 

 passed many times before. I 

 rose and approached and as I did 

 so the proprietor appeared, as if 

 to enquire into the intrusion. I 

 recognized the little fellow and he 

 may have recognized me. The 

 nest was in architecture a typi- 

 cal specimen, placed ten feet 

 from the ground in the crotch of 

 a willow, and contained three 

 partially incubated eggs. The 

 bird was unusually tame and hop- 

 ped about without showing much 

 fear. This was, in my exper- 

 ience, not generally the case with 

 this flycatcher, although I have 

 sometimes approached quite near 

 to the birds without seeming to 

 alarm them. 



My next meeting with this spe- 

 cies occurred June 18, for I had 

 determined on a closer acquain- 

 tance. .\ little further down the 

 valley I found my next nest. 

 This was six feet from the ground 

 in the fork of a willow, com- 



posed of willow dun and fibers 

 of bark and contained four fresh 

 eggs. 



Another nest was noted about 

 this time, in process of con- 

 struction, and was watched un- 

 til nearly completed. A day or 

 so after, on going to inspect the 

 nest, there was nothing to be 

 seen. Closer examination re 

 vealed a trail of material lead- 

 ing off through the willows. On 

 following the track marked by 

 bits of cotton and fibers 

 Slicking to twigs and branches, a 

 rather large, slovenly nest ap- 

 peared, and from it flew a Yellow- 

 billed Cuckoo. On inspecLion 

 the nest was found to be lined 

 throughout with the material 

 from the flycatcher's nest. That 

 same night a heavy rain and 

 wind storm came on, and next 

 morning, beneath the cuckoo's 

 nest, lay one of her eggs, broken 

 — swift. retribution — if it may be 

 so regarded. With this incident 

 closed my experience for 1894. 

 Recalling my experience and 

 surprise of last year, I one day set 

 out for the scene of my former 

 investigations. My first nest was 

 found on June 20, 1S95. It was 

 situated in a red willow crotch, 

 6'^ feet from the ground, compos- 

 ed, like others, of bark fibers and 

 willow down. It was quite bulky 



