ANIMAL BEHAVIOR, WITH EXAMPLES 245 



roadway. When I rushed up to rescue the songster, the hawk, 

 which was now on the ground with its prey and about ready 

 to despatch it, reluctantly released its hold and flew away. The 

 brown thrasher, in the meantime, suddenly recovered itself 

 and flew off to the lower limb of an apple tree, somewhat 

 injured from the loss of feathers, but it finally recovered com- 

 pletely from what came near being a tragedy. 



During this same spring many birds, for want of other folia- 

 ceous covering, built in evergreen trees, so that I often witnessed 

 social groups made up of several difl^erent species of birds 

 occupying the same tree. In some of these cedar trees I not 

 infrequently found the catbird, robin, field sparrow, and mourn- 

 ing dove, each with its own nest, but enjoying each others' 

 society in common; while, on the other hand, I found birds 

 like the brown thrasher, which ordinarily build in bushes, 

 nesting on the ground, one such nest being surrounded by some 

 weeds on the back of our grounds. The mourning doves, 

 which usually build in apple trees, were similarly inclined to 

 nest on the ground, several being seen in such a situation. 



The Red-eyed Vireo 



