THE AUDUBON BULLETIN 



23 



Photo by F. G. Paulus 



YOUNG ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK 



The Purple Martins re- 

 turning in the spring to the 

 house 1 have erected for 

 them have adopted a curious 

 nest-building habit. Besides 

 collecting the usual material 

 I have seen them fly to the 

 nearest cherry and pear 

 trees; tear the green leaves 

 .from the uppermost 

 branches and carry them to 

 their nest. In northern 

 Wisconsin, in the spring of 

 1921, a pair of Martins oc- 

 cupying a nail barrel which 

 had been erected for them, 

 possessed the same curious 

 habit. Here, however, they 

 chose the leaves of the Balm 

 of Gilead (Populus balsami- 

 fera) which they also picked 

 from the topmost branches 

 of a tree about 100 yards 



away and flew to their nest with them. 

 The writer is anxious to know if 

 this habit has been observed by other 

 bird students. 



Carl F. Gronemann 



B e 1 o w — A — A perfect 

 cherry blossom. Above — B — 

 cherry blossom with calyx 

 removed by Rose-breasted 

 Grosbeak. 



