74 



THE OOLOGIST. 



outside life they chose a perch not quite 

 ten feet from the nest and there they 

 remained constantly for two days long- 

 er. The two young sat side by side and 

 as close together as possible. On the 

 fourth day of their removal from the 

 nest the father bird, after repeated and 

 unsuccessful pleading with the young 

 birds to fly, deliberately alighted upon 

 the backs of the young and literally 

 forced them from the perch. They flew 

 well at the first and returned but once 

 to the tree and were soon lost sight of. 

 though the old birds were often seen. 



The male continued to sing until 

 about the middle of July as in former 

 seasons, though as usual only in the ear- 

 ly morning hours after the spring nest- 

 ing was over, while the song was in- 

 termittent through out the day during 

 courting and nesting. The song, when 

 given in full was always composed of 

 the first or long note followed by the 

 three shorter notes, the third and fourth 

 being about half as far apart as the 

 second and third. 



And now comes a remarkable instance 

 of second brood raising in a species that 

 is credited with rearing but one brood 

 in a season. The two young disappear- 

 ed and the old ones were seen repeatedly 

 throughout the months of August and 

 September, though not a song was heard. 

 On the morning of September 28, 1904, 

 I was called out of the house by an in- 

 terested neighbor who excitedly told me 

 that there was another brood of young 

 in the oak tree. On going to the back 

 piazza I saw two young sitting in the 

 exact position that was occupied by the 

 spring brood. We watched the old birds 

 feed one of the young the next day and 

 the bird was evidently just out of the 

 nest. 



This is not only a remarkably late 

 date for this species to nest but it es- 

 tablishes the fact that the Mourning 

 dove does-, at least occasionally, rear two 

 broods in a season, and this too without 

 any song whatever being uttered. 



In North Carolina and Virginia : 



Progne subis. 



A common summer resident and 

 breeder in all sections, apparently of 

 regular distribution, as I have noticed no 

 variations in their numbers in any lo- 

 cality. By about the 18th of March they 

 begin to arrive from the south, and 

 continue to grow in numbers until about 

 the 25th ; by which date, in eastern 

 North Carolina, they are in full force. 

 In the more northern and western sec- 

 tions they arrive a few days later than 

 in the east. In eastern Virginia they 

 become common by the 1st of April, 

 while in the north and west they are 

 not fully represented for several days. 

 Sometimes in southeastern -North Caro- 

 lina, a few are to be noted by the 12th of 

 March, but usually they continue rare 

 for a week or more thereafter. These 

 early spring arrivals are not of common 

 occurrence, about one spring in every 

 four or five. Of all the birds that in- 

 habit this land of ours, the Martin is one 

 of the most interesting species. Obser- 

 ving their graceful movements and ad- 

 miring their wonderful flight, if we can 

 spare them only a few minutes of our 

 time, is a pleasure alike to all. Behold 

 how gracefully, when at a height of 

 several hundred feet above, they fold 

 their wings and dart downward not to 

 stop until they are perched in the en- 

 trance to their nesting place, or how 

 gracefully they wend their way to 

 regions beyond the vision's range. As 

 they dart hither and thither in pursuit 

 of some unfortunate insect, they are 

 soon lost in space. Throughout eastern 

 North Carolina, nest building usually 

 begins by the 1st of May, sometimes a 

 little earlier. Eggs are rarely to be ob- 

 tained before the middle of the second 

 week in May, and usually not before the 

 15th. In the west, nest building begins 

 later than in the east; the dates vary- 

 ing with those of their arrival, three to 

 fourteen days. Almost every farmer 



