186 The Wilson Bulletin — No. 85 



bird, brown thrasher, and yellow warbler, each came once 

 and looked into the nest. The female paid no attention to 

 the king-bird or warbler but was somewhat disturbed by the 

 thrasher. Blue jays frequently came into the neighborhood 

 and on these visits the catbird's actions were always the 

 same. If she happened to be away from the nest, she flew 

 to some perch from which she could watch both the nest and 

 the jays, and remained there until they left. Her favorite 

 perch at these times was the dead branch of an ash tree 

 about thirty feet from the nest. If she were on the nest 

 when they appeared, she merely settled down and remained 

 motionless until they left. A flicker came blundering into 

 the blind two or three times and hopped on the platform in 

 pursuit of ants. Once he approached within a foot of my 

 chair before he noticed me and flew out with a squawk of 

 fright. 



Of all the visitors, a house wren furnished the most 

 amusement to those in the blind. Several times every day, 

 he hopped to the edge of the catbird's nest and sat there in- 

 specting it for some time, turning his head first on one side, 

 and then on the other. When the catbird appeared, he would 

 fly around the blind. This particular wren seemed devoid 

 of fear, as he entered the blind one or more times each day 

 either thru the ventilator or the opening at the back of the 

 blind. Twice he flew into the observation opening within 

 six inches of my face to get away from the nest at the ap- 

 proach of the catbird. Usually she paid little attention to 

 him, but twice flew at him and drove him away. 



A chipmunk at one time climbed into a little plum tree 

 next to the nest, during the absence of the catbird. On her 

 return she flew at him with such violence as to knock him 

 from the tree to the ground. On one occasion a cat, and on 

 another a dog, passed thru the ravine near the nest. Both 

 times she remained on the nest but was unmistakably un- 

 easy as long as they remained in that vicinity. 



The departure of only one of the nestlings was observed 

 and that was nestling A from the Sioux City nest. His de- 



