166 The Wilson Bulletin — No. 85 



males led to noting their scarcity in general, and to recording 

 in note-book when and where a male at any time was seen. 

 The entire number seen in the past five years has been six 

 on our place and six elsewhere. It is impossible to do more 

 than estimate the number of females that have been seen; 

 but when it is remembered that on several days in two sum- 

 mers seven have been in sight at one time, it does not ap- 

 pear to be an over-estimate to place their number at twelve 

 or fifteen for each year, or six times more of them than of 

 the males. 



The simple experiments herein described are sucii that 

 they may be tried by any one having a yard frequented by 

 the Ruby-throat. If any one doubts that the female of this 

 species will choose a saccharine diet, when it is available, let 

 him continue the tests until convinced beyond cavil or a 

 doubt. It is especially desirable that the experiments be made 

 in proximity to the nesting birds in order to see if the moth- 

 er will feed syrup to her nestlings. Sometimes our Catbirds 

 and Brown Thrashers have come into the porch to the cat's 

 plate and taken his bread and milk for their nestlings. Upon 

 this hint for needed aid I have put bread soaked in milk on 

 the fence railing for them, and they have taken it also. It is 

 reasonable to believe that in like manner sweet benefactions 

 proffered to a hard-working Humming-bird mother might 

 be acceptable to her, and shared by her with her nestlings. 



NEST LIFE OF THE CATBIRD. 

 Dumetella carolinensis Linn. 



BY IRA N. GABRIELSON. 



The data, on which this paper is based, was obtained from 

 partial studies of three nests of this species during the sum- 

 mer of 1913. One of these was watched at Sioux City during 

 the last two days of the nestling period. This nest will be 

 referred to as nest A in the paper. The other two nests were 

 located at Lake Okoboji, Iowa. One was observed by Mr. 



