132 The Wilson Bulletin — No. 84. 



The end of the third day and the beginning of the fourth, 

 I observed in the bhnd eight hours — from 5 :34 a. m. to 

 4:54 p. m. During this time I left the bhnd for two hours 

 and one hour. This day the female fed the young seventeen 

 times by regurgitation, and both birds made thirty-three vis- 

 its to the nest with insects. Spruce bud moths were fed fif- 

 teen times during these visits. From two to twelve moths 

 were fed at a time but they were mostly brought by the beak- 

 ful. Caterpillars were administered thirteen times. The quan- 

 tity varied from one to a beakful. Usually the birds brought 

 a goodly number. We must remember that while some of 

 these birds were three days old, the youngest was but one. 

 All four were fed on all of these visits. 



Near the end of the fourth day I observed five hours in the 

 morning. The female fed the young twelve times by regurg- 

 itation. The birds brought food to the nest twenty-four times. 

 During these visits, spruce bud moths were fed seventeen 

 times, and caterpillars thirteen times. 



Near the end of the fifth day, in the forenoon, I observed 

 two hours and fifty minutes. The female fed the young once 

 by regurgitation ; the birds made eighteen visits to the nest, 

 fed spruce bud moths ten times, and caterpillars seven times. 



Near the end of the sixth day, before noon, I observed 

 three hours. The birds fed the young twenty times. During 

 this period, caterpillars were brought eleven times and spruce 

 bud moths thirteen times. 



The length of a feeding day of the birds consists of about 

 fifteen hours. In making out these notes, I was unable to 

 take into consideration the number of insects eaten by the two 

 mature, active birds, those fed by regurgitation to the young, 

 or those held in the mouth and throat when the birds came to 

 the nest with overflowing beaks. From the observations, 

 however, one can form a slight idea of the enormous quantity 

 of spruce bud moths and caterpillars consumed during the 

 ten or twelve fifteen-hour days of nest life. The parent birds 

 continue to feed the fledglings for some time after they leave 

 the nest. 



