Prize Article. 



The Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher- 



This pretty little bird is tolerabty 

 common in eastern North Carolina, arriving the 

 latter part of March. Soon after arriving they 

 begin building their nests; the nest is placed on 

 a horizontal limb of a beech, oak, or hickory, the 

 height ranging from twenty to sixty feet. 

 The nest is a cup-shaped structure nicely saddled 

 on the limb; it is composed of beech buds, betcli 

 blooms, grass, wool, and small weed stalks. 

 The entire outside of nest is covered with lichens. 

 The nest is so well concealed that I have never 

 iound one except by watching the birds. 

 In the sets I have examined the nu nber of eggs 

 were five, but four or six are sometimes deposited. 

 When the birds arrive their familiar and pleasant 

 notes may be heard in any grove along the banks 

 of a stream or in other favorable places. 

 Not until a short time ago did I knovv that this 

 bird could sing so sweet a song; one day while 

 walking 1 under a dead cedar I heard the subdued 

 tones of one of the sweetest songs I ever heard, 

 and naturally I legan to look about to see from 

 what source it came, t j my susprise, I saw a Blue 

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