358 The Wilson Bulletin — No. 92 



table will show the amount of time spend in the blind each 

 day and also the time spent by the grosbeaks in brooding. 



TABLE I. 



Date. Time iu blind. Brooding. 



June 26—5:20 A. M.-4:20 P. M. 11 hrs. 1 lir. 53 min. 



June 27—7:15 A. M.-4:30 P. M. 9 Iirs. 15 min. 3 iirs. 16 min, 



June 28—5 :15 A. M.-7 :00 P. M. 13 hrs. 45 min. 6 hrs. 54 min. 



June 29—9 :00 A. M.-4 :45 P. M. 7 lirs. 45 min. 1 lir. 49 min, 



June 30—9 :40 A. M.-4 :20 P. M. 6 lirs. 40 min. 38 min. 



July 1—5:45 A. M.-4:40 P. M. 10 hrs. 55 min. 1 hr. 19 min. 



59 hrs. 20 min. 15 hrs. 49 min. 



The brooding time from the twenty-sixth to the twenty- 

 ninth was distributed throughout the day in periods aver- 

 aging about nine minutes each. During these days, with 

 one exception, the brooding position was practically un- 

 changed. The weather was moderate and we could remain 

 in the blind without discomfort. This position (Fig. 1) was 

 assumed to be as a protection from the cold. Once, on June 

 26, the female brooded through a rain storm. Her position 

 was nearly the same as the one illustrated, the only notice- 

 able difference being a more pronounced settling into^ the nest. 



On June 29, during the heat of the day a change was no- 

 ticed. The nestlings were restless and continually crowded 

 from under her. She commenced at this time to stand in the 

 bottom of the nest and spread her wings slightly. Fig. 3 

 illustrates this shading instinct at its highest development hi 

 this individual. It is very imperfect when compared with 

 some birds of other species, although better than the average 

 individual which has come to my notice. On some occasions 

 the wings were slightly spread and the feathers of the head 

 and back were perceptibly elevated, while at other times a 

 barely noticeable spreading of the wings testified to an at- 

 tempt to furnish the shade which the young needed. On the 

 last two days the covering of the young by this method con- 

 stituted the entire brooding practice. Only seven periods 

 were recorded on these two days and they averaged almost 

 ]7 minutes each. As soon as the surrounding vegetation 



