32 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



Five instances were noted in which not only the contents of 

 the nest were destroyed, but also the brooding bird. A Cardi- 

 nal's nest was discovered one morning with the tail and wing 

 feathers of the female bird scattered over the top of the eggs. 

 In like manner a brooding Song Sparrow suffered the same fate. 

 An owl might have been responsible for these two tragedies. 

 A Rough-winged Swallow built a nest in a pipe leading into a 

 stone wall. A boy came along and, seeing the hole, threw a 

 large-sized stone in the entrance preventing the escape of the 

 bird. A few days later a very much bedraggled swallow was 

 removed from the nest and soon died. 



In 1913 two Crested Tits' nests were found, the only ones 

 probably in the neighborhood canvassed. Both of these nests 

 together with the mother birds were destroyed, I think by cats. 

 The male birds promptly left the locality and not a Tufted Tit- 

 mouse have I seen in that particular woods since, showing how 

 easily a species may be exterminated over a certain area. Will 

 this species ever work back? Probably not, for the tendency 

 of nearly all forms of bird-life about a city, is to contract and 

 decrease. 



Attention is called to the large numbers of Robins' nests de- 

 stroyed by sparrows. These nests were all built in tall trees in 

 close proximity to the city, where sparrows are very abundant. 

 The Robin's nest forms an excellent foundation for the bulky 

 sparrow's nest and they seem to neglect no opportunity to take 

 advantage of it. The Robin seems totally unable to cope with 

 the situation. I knew of a pair of Robins that built three nests 

 last spring among the trees in a little city park and as fast as 

 they were built, they were ceded to the sparrows, the Robins 

 not being allowed to raise a single young. I have no doubt 

 that the Robin would inhabit all parts of the city where there 

 are tall trees, if it were not for the sparrow pest. 



The Robin and Song Sparrow with one exception, exhibit the 

 smallest number of successes, yet these are the two most num- 

 erous native birds inhabiting the locality under observation. 

 The remarkable fecundity of these two species is probably the 

 factor which must be considered in searching for an expla- 

 nation of this peculiar situation. 



