Illustrations of the Metho 



u. 



19 



This beautiful nest with the entire bough to which it was strung was moved eight 

 yards from the tree, set up in the way described, and the tent was closed at a quarter past 

 eight o'clock. After repeated visits to the apple tree both birds disappeared, but ditl not 

 go out of hearing of their young, who in a half-hour's time began giving their iLnck-ick- 

 ick-ick ! with an emphasis sure to evoke response. 



The old birds began to approach, sounding now and then their peculiar rattle, and 

 the female could be seen exploring the foliage of a neighboring tree. At fifteen minutes 

 past nine one of them was skirmishing about the tent, and in five minutes alighted 

 above the nest with a green larva in bill. This larva however had another destiny that 

 was apparent at the moment, for a puff of wind frightened the bird away. At her next 

 visit a strawberry was brought and safely delivered, in exactly one hour and seventeen 

 minutes from the beginning of operations. 



Observations were continued until 4.25 P.M. or, allowing for the noon intermission, 

 •during seven and a quarter hours. In this period the parents were at the nest fifty times 

 bringing insects and fruit. Sometimes the feedings would follow at two or three minute 

 intervals; then longer lapses would occur. 



On the second day, June 26th, the female brought food in five minutes after the tent 

 Avas up, and during the space of six hours and twentv-three minutes while operations 

 1 a St e d , the young 

 were fed one hund- ' , . 



red and sixteen times ' 



by both birds. I left .; ' . 



the tent and entered ., 



it again several times " ' - r ' .- ,. . ■ 



during the day, and 



once moved both . . . . ' . 



bough and tent to . ■ , '■ , 



improve the light. 

 By this time the Ori- 

 oles showed no fear, 

 but came to the nest- 

 ing branch in from 

 one to two minutes 

 after I had entered 

 the tent. During an 

 interval of ten min- 

 utes, the young were 

 fed eleven times. 



The tent was 

 closed at 8.30 on the 

 morning of the third 

 day, June 27th, and 

 the first feeding came 



off in five minutes. In two hours and twenty-five minutes the old birds made forty-four 

 visits to the nest bringing strawberries and insects, and towards eleven o'clock one of the 





^^i;^m 



^^"»''^^''' 



'p^-ivt'-fi 



,^^ n^^^^ji^^ 



Fig. 13. Cedar-bird's nest in its new site. Nesting bough moved fifty feet to open field. 

 Compare Figs, i, g, and 12. 



