Nesting Behavior of the Yellow Warbler. do 



written up immediately after the incident by Miss Nellie D. 

 Fisher, who was in the blind at the time : 



"At 2 :40 p. m. the male bird fed the young and immedi- 

 ately afterward the female fiew close to and directly above the 

 nest without stopping; this act being unusual I looked around 

 closely and at the base of the bush in which the nest was 

 located a garter snake ^ was seen lying partly coiled up. I 

 watched it for about two minutes, not thinking it would harm 

 the birds ; then it began to move, and I took a large piece 

 of stove wood, all that was at hand in shape of a weapon, 

 and struck at the snake through the peep-hole in the tent. At 

 once it began to show fight, and in so doing it came almost 

 into the tent ; but when nearly under it, turned and went u]) 

 the stick, which had been put in place to strengthen the bush, 

 passed over the nest to the farther side, took the larger bird, 

 and at once started off with it. The nestling, in the meantime, 

 made considerable noise. I ran out of the tent after it, and 

 followed the noise a few feet to the northwest, near the plum 

 tree, when the noise stopped. I looked around a short time 

 and then returned to the blind and found the snake just be- 

 low the nest with the bird in its mouth. With the same stick 

 of stove wood the snake was killed. By this time the bird 

 was dead. Meantime, the male and female were flying about, 

 uttering loud angry calls, and flying close to the ground where 

 the snake lay." 



The following notes are taken from the field records : 



" Before 6 :00 p. m. observer laid dead bird on branch near 

 the nest ; female, after feeding, seized dead bird by the leg 

 with her beak, then darted against the tent as if frightened ; 

 but soon returned and took its head, hopped backward and 

 unbalanced it so it fell to the ground. She seemed afraid of 

 it ; but made little darts at it, pulling it away from the nest. 



" The female flew down near dead bird with food and twit- 



^ I am indebted to Dr. Alexander G. Ruthven, of the University 

 of Mictiigan Museum, for identifying the snalie as Thamnophts 

 sirtalis parietalis (Say). This particular specimen was not over 

 twelve inches in length. 



