Notes on the Red-Winged Blackbird 



295 



the ground and contained tw 

 pair after many trials succe 

 l>rood. The nest was close 

 sand pump on the river and 

 them in a constant state of 

 in a small elm and the four 

 cessfully reared. The third 

 young which disappeared the 



o nestlings and two eggs. This 

 eded in raising all four of their 

 to a wagon track leading to a 

 the passing of the wagons kept 

 alarm. The second was placed 

 nestlings it contained were suc- 

 , in a willow, held one naked 

 next dav. The fourth, contain- 



Approacbing with Food. 



ing three nestlings, was chosen for special study. All three 

 nestlings failed to reach the fledgling stage. The fifth pair 

 placed their nest in a dense tangle of willows and vines, thick- 

 ly grown with nettles (Urtica spf). The growth was so 

 dense that, although I worked my way through the thicket 

 several times, I did not find the nest. These five pairs of 

 Red-wings thus built ten nests and from the nine which were 

 found only eight young were finally brought to a fledgling 

 state. This seems to be an unusually low percentage of in- 

 crease, at least in my experience. 



