182 The Wilson Bulletin — No. 85 



July 26 1 54 



July 27 1 53 



July 28 64 



July 29 96 



July 30 51 



27 82* 



2 56* 



64 

 96 

 51 



Totals 26 427 34 81 568 



* On some feedings two of the nestlings were fed. 



As shown by the table, Blue received an unequal share of 

 the food almost from the first. This share increased rapidly 

 until the death of White, after which, he of course received 

 all of it. This is probably not an unusual happening in the 

 bird world altho not often witnessed. From the studies al- 

 ready mentioned and from others whose results have not 

 been published, it seems that the distribution of the food is 

 governed to a considerable extent by the strength of the nest- 

 ling rather than by the exercise of any instinct or judgment 

 of the parent feeding, — that is the nestling which is able to 

 make the greater outcry and also make himself the most con^ 

 spicuous almost invariably receives the food. This fact stood 

 out most markedly in the study of nest C but has also been 

 noted in other studies. On the other hand if the nestlings 

 were nearly equal in strength the food would be more equally 

 distributed. With both parents feeding this factor might not 

 operate rigorously enough to cause the death of any nestling, 

 on account of the more abundant food supply. It did not 

 appear in this case, that the male was kept away from the 

 nest by fear of the blind, as he was continually noted in the 

 bushes near by and one of his favorite perches while singing 

 was a spot in the raspberry bushes much closer to the blind 

 than was the nest. His action must have been due to some 

 unknown factor as the male catbird, does in some instances, 

 at least, assist in the feeding process. 



Sanitation. 

 In the sanitation of the nest the catbirds, were in all the 

 studies, found to be scrupulously clean. Not only was the 



