AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 67 



If any member of the bird world is capable of perpetrating and ap- 

 preciating a joke, the writer now believes that this one can, having 

 been the victim of several the past season. Having found and photo- 

 graphed one of their nests a year before, I was not especially anxious 

 to find another and so paid little attention to them, A pair of them 

 flitted by while I, watching another small bird, was partially concealed 

 under a bush. As I glanced up the male disappeared in the top of a 

 small shrub; a moment later he flew away and she in turn went to the 

 same bush; this began to appear suspicious and a moment later when 

 the male again appeared and went through the same performance, I 

 was certain that they had a nest there. To satisfy my curiosity I went 

 towards the place, both birds meanwhile chirping pitifully. When I 

 had lifted the leaves which as I supposed concealed their treasures, and 

 found nothing there, my surprise was complete. Not only this time, 

 but on a number of other occasions was I thus deceived by these little 

 black and yellow rogues, I have never heard that this was a common 

 trait among this species, but all that I have met with seem to have 

 been very proficient. 



Another habit that they seem to have acquired in a marked degree, 

 is that of prying into other folks affairs; they are inquisitive to the last 

 degree. Several times I have tested this by hiding myself beneath a 

 bush, and found that every bird in the colony would gather around and 

 take turns in hopping down to peek at me. So matters ran for about 

 two weeks; I made no systematic search or special effort to find one of 

 their nests, but was always on the lookout for one when I passed 

 through their township. Late one afternoon I was on my way home 

 and was hurrying to catch a car. The path I pursued led right through 

 their territory; as I was walking over a small walnut shrub a bird 

 fell to the ground and fluttered along ahead of me. In my haste I had 

 found what a more careful search would have failed to reveal. Seeing 

 that her attempt to lead me away from the nest had been unsuccessful, 

 the bird returned and scolded me as I stood looking at the treasures 

 she had guarded so zealously. This nest was the most neatly woven 

 of any I have ever found of this bird; it had a delicate lace like appear- 

 ance that was very attractive. This is the nest that is shown here and 

 is the one that I was most successful with in obtaining photos of the 

 parents. 



Summer before last, all attempts at bird photography, when applied 

 to the Prairie Warbler were failures because of the unusual shyness of 

 the birds. The varying emotions of different individuals of the same 

 family, were well shown by the owners of the nest that we have just 



