Minute Observations on Catbirds. 



79 



in^ to the utmost limit their transparent red necks display the yellow target of the open 

 mouth as they /.szV / tsit ! to the approaching mother, who sounds her well-known call. 

 On one occasion I saw the female deliver a black dragon-fly, and afterwards take 

 from the bill of the male, who was standing near, a carrion beetle, and pass it to the young. 

 Then keenly eying her brood, she 







V- 





deliberately bent over, and as the 

 body of one was raised took from it 

 a small white package and flew awa}-. 

 Many of the photographs show the 

 birds performing this sanitar\' act, a 

 practice common to many other spe- 

 cies. During her first visits the female 

 ate the excreta, but thereafter it was 

 invariably removed from the nest. 



The food served to these young 

 Catbirds consisted of dragon-flies, 

 which were brought to the nest thir- 

 teen times, insect larvje, beetles, 

 moth millers, and a great variety of 

 smaller insects, varied with liberal 

 courses of strawberries. At first the 

 old birds approached quietly, fed 

 theiryoung hurriedly from the farth- 

 er side, and u ere off in a few seconds, 

 but as confidence in their surround- 

 ings was gradually restored, they 

 would come to the nest-front, with 

 the camera but three feet away, re- 

 main there for a full minute, and after 

 assisting the young to dispose of their 

 harder subjects, inspect evervthing 

 with the greatest care. 



When this nest was visited two 

 days later the )-oung looked bright 



and hearty. They were now in full feather, and about ready for flight. When the tent had 

 been cautiously set up, I noticed that a number of leaves cast undesirable shadows on 

 the nest. Though knowing well what to expect, I decided to take the risk, and reached 

 out to cut them off. This was the fatal spark v.-hich fires the train of gunpowder, for all 

 went off in an instant in a panic of fear, and the game was up, for Catbirds when well 

 out of their nest at this stage are out for good. 





Fig. 68. Female Catbird cleaning the nest. 



