the side of a hill in a sparse growth of old-field pines ', and was supported in the rear 

 by a tuft of grass. 



"A second one, found May 9, in a patch of pine and plum bushes^ was held snugly 

 between two tufts of broom sedge. It contained three young birds nearly grown and 

 an addled egg. The parents were perched on a pine, about fifteen steps from the Doctor, 

 and manifested their alarm at his presence by their nervous movements. A short search 

 revealed this n^st. It resembled the one found on the 8th, except that the entrance was 

 somewhat more inclined upward, and was not quite so well concealed 



"On June 3 a fourth nest was found in a siqiilar situation to the last, and as in 

 former cases, the noise made by the alarm of the parent at Mr. Avery's presence at- 

 tracted his attention and indicated to him where to search. In a letter dated June 4 he 

 writes me regarding this find, as follows: 'Yesterday I found still another nest of Bach- 

 man's Sparrow, but it contained four fledglings instead of eggs. I had been looking for 

 nests of this bird for several hours when, pausing a few moments to look at a tree 

 called here 'mimosa' " and wondering by what agency it had been brought to this unusual 

 spot amongst the pines", my attention was attracted by a dark looking little object, 

 quadruped or reptile as I first supposed, running through the grass and uttering chay, 

 cMy, a sound more like the hissing of a snake than the scolding of a bird. I soon 

 discovered my mistake, however, for the Sparrow, a Bachman's, remained about ten 

 feet from me until I found its nest. Its entrance faced me, looking this time towards 

 the north (the first three found all faced the west). It required a close search to find 

 this nest, though I was standing not more than six feet from it when the peculiar hiss, 

 as it were, of the parent bird and its rustling in the grass, startled me from my musings 

 as to how the beautiful mimosa had reached that desolate spot amongst the pines. A 

 peep into the cosy structure discovered the objects of my search ; not four glistening 

 eggs this time, but four outstretched reptile-like mouths and necks greeted my view. 

 At my approach the old bird did not fly, but ran away a few feet from the nest and 

 changed his scolding into an anxious seep, seep till I turned towards him, when he ran 

 along ahead of me for some steps, then rose and perched upon a fallen tree top, chip- 

 ping and turning about much after the manner of a Wren. Here, while I was examining 

 him with my field glass, he surprised me by bursting into song, soft, sweet, and full of 

 gladness as that which at times wells from his throat when the shadows of evening begin 

 to creep over his sombre pines. It was the male bird that I surprised in the act of feed- 

 ing his young, who thus expressed his satisfaction at having lured me from his nestlings.' 



"On June 6 Dr. Avery found another nest of Bachman's Sparrow, containing 

 two eggs. It was domed like those previously found. The parent ran from the nest 

 and the Doctor writes in this connection : 'I have yet to see one fly, as do other birds 

 when disturbed at incubation. They all run, some showing greater alarm than others 

 for the safety of their little thatched domicile.' On June 23 a sixth nest, containing 



four nearly fresh eggs, of Bachman's Sparrow was found by an old negro He had 



been ploughing up a field that had not been cultivated for years, and the oxen, said he, 

 as well as himself, were startled by the bird running from the nest. He stated that he 

 took the bird for a snake, and explained to me that he was at first afraid to go to the 



I Plaus trnda. 2 Pruiius chlcasa. a Albizzla JuUbrissla. 



