308 AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 



hopped out along the branch to the nest, as though they thought them- 

 selves successfully screaned by pine needles. 



A tall, branching poplar, standing on our grounds, besides furnish- 

 ing a nest for Cedar-birds, also supplies a home for the Yellow War- 

 bler. Last summer the nest was placed on a branch, about twelve feet 

 from the ground, and easily accessible. But it ended in disaster, and 

 this year the Yellow-birds chose another site, owing to certain maraud- 

 ing felines. 



At all times during the day Ruby-throated Hummingbirds come to 

 feed from the boxed geraniums on our piazza railings, and from their 

 favorite honeysuckle. 



Charles Lee Brown. 



BIRD HOMES. 



On a warm sultry afternoon, I was seated beside a little stream in 

 the woods upon a tree that had fallen across the brook. There were 

 no birds singing, they appeared to have deserted the place for the time 

 being. When all of a sudden a pair of tufted Titmice came flying 

 swiftly through the woods, and apparently not taking notice of me, 

 landed on the tree upon which I was sitting, only a few feet away. I 

 kept perfectly still and the birds, after going through a few maneuvers, 

 hopped into the brook at my feet and took a bath. From there they 

 flew into a near-by tree and dressed their feathers. 



I have this season found my first Oven-bird nest, although I repeat- 

 edly made fruitless searches. A friend and myself were going through 

 the woods when a small bird crossed our path, keeping to the ground 

 and running. We recognized it at once as the Oven-bird and made no 

 attempt to follow it; but began searching the ground where we had 

 first noticed it, and to our surprise discovered a nest with two young 

 and one egg. It was very well concealed and looked like the nest of a 

 field mouse, a round ball of dried grass, so well did the dome cover the 

 nest. Closer observation proved that one side was open where the 

 bird passed in and out, but this side was protected by a tussock of 

 grass. So with all these protections we never would have found the 

 nest were it not for the parent birds. Later in the season, June 27th, 

 I found another nest situated in a roadway in the woods only a few 

 inches from the rut where the wagon wheels passed. I tramped upon 

 a large limb that lay two feet from the nest, causing the bird to leave 

 and in this way discovared the second nest this season containing four 

 young about a week old. The old birds showed great concern and 

 came very close to me with wings and tail trailing on the ground 



