The Home of the Great Crest 



427 



Approach to the Nest. 



The study of these birds was made more difficult because 

 of their silent approach to the nest. Other species previously 

 studied made more or less noise in coming to the nest, but 

 the Great Crests flew silently to some branch and then, after 

 looking about, dropped to the nest opening and disappeared 

 within. During the entire proceeding the only sound audi- 

 ble in the blind was the faint scratching of their nails as they 

 entered the nest, and then it was too late to determine the 

 contents of their beaks. This explains the large percentage 

 of unidentified food in the table. Only by keeping a close 

 watch on the three or four usual perches could one be sure 

 of detecting their approach. They usually sat on these limbs 

 for several seconds before entering the nest and could be held 

 there for some time by a slight noise from the blind. 



The female almost invariably came to the same branch and 

 flew back to it on leaving the nest, but the male was more 

 variable and had several perches, which he used according 

 to the direction of his approach. 



Table i. Food of the Nestlings. 



FOOD. 



Fly 



Moth 



Green larvae 



Unidentified 



Wasp 



Long-horned Grasshopper. 



Dragon fly 



Red Admiral butterfly.... 



Lady beetle 



Beetle 



Daddy-longlegs 



Grasshopper 



Spider 



Cricket 



Egg shell (?) 



Butterfly 



Bee 



Mayfly 



J.4 



, 2 

 . 1 



J.5 



5 

 16 

 15 



1 



2 



2 



1 



2 



2 



1 



1 



J.6 



2 

 10 

 17 

 19 



1 



2 



3 



3 



1 



7 



3 



7 



5 



2 



J.7 J.8 

 5 4 



7 

 25 

 24 

 2 

 3 

 3 

 3 



6 

 3 

 18 

 18 

 4 

 2 

 1 

 4 

 1 



2 

 23 

 16 



3 



6 



2 



5 

 14 

 3 

 3 

 1 

 5 



2 

 16 



J.9 J.ll J.12 To. 



2 . . 15 



1 3 29 



88 



109 



12 



18 



11 



13 



3 



17 



7 



34 



28 



9 



9 



4 



6 



4 



Total . 



3 50 83 129 73 39 15 24 416 



