184 The Wilson Bulletin — No. 85 



Table V shows that up to the sixth day the excreta was 

 always devoured. From this day part of it was devoured and 

 the remainder carried away. The proportion carried away^ 

 increased to the end of the study. When carried away, it 

 was usually taken across the ravine and out of sight among 

 the trees. Occasionally it was taken around the blind and 

 carried toward the head of the ravine. In either case we 

 failed to get any data as to the final disposition. 



Miscellaneous Behavior and Incidents. 



On approaching and leaving the nest, the behavior was 

 fairly constant. There seemed to be, in nest A, little varia- 

 tion in the method of coming to the nest and both parents 

 used the same path. They always came in sight at a certain 

 point in the undergrowth and then came by hopping from 

 one branch to another. ]\Iuch of the time they used the same 

 branches. In leaving a variation was noted altho' in the ma- 

 jority of visits they returned over the same route as they ap- 

 proached. At other times they flew directly toward the blind 

 from the nest and then either passed over or flew around it. 

 In nest C the method of approach was less stereotyped. Dur- 

 ing the first five days one method was used but from that 

 time others were used, altho the first one continued to be 

 the favorite. The first method, was to fly to the raspberry 

 bushes at a point directly opposite the blind and come to the 

 nest by hopping from branch to branch. The second method, 

 and the one least used, was to fly directly to the nest, alight- 

 ing on the edge next to the blind. The last method was to 

 fly to one of the guy ropes of the blind and hop from there 

 to the nest over the tops of the bushes. In leaving, the same 

 three paths were followed, the first one being generally used. 



The dift"erence in the behavior of the catbirds toward the 

 blind made an interesting study. At nest A the parents 

 never exhibited any marked fear of the blind, even while it 

 was being erected, but stayed in the bushes two or three 

 yards away hopping nervously about and scolding harshly. 

 After the blind was erected thev soon became used to its 



