lOLOGIST 



[Vol. 15-No. 3 



Nesting of the Red-breasted Nut- 

 hatch in Orono, Maine. 



Having seen very few notes on the nesting of 

 tliis species {Sittu canadensis) I tliouglit my 

 observations for tlic spring of 1889 might be of 

 some interest. I have found this bird quite 

 abundant in the woods for several winters 

 past; but, as I have seen only one or two 

 individuals in the late spring or summer — 

 before this year — I had no idea that it nested 

 here. The reason of my seeing more this 

 spring may be accounted for by my having to 

 go to the woods daily. 



On the 7th of April, while in a wood-lot, 

 my attention was attracted by a tapping sound 

 which I thought was occasioned by some 

 Woodpeclser. I followed the sound, and soon 

 saw a Iled-breasted Nuthatch at work on the 

 trunk of a dead tree, without branches. 



about twenty feet from the ground. I sup- 

 posed of course that it was feeding, but 

 noticed that it kept continually at work at one 

 place; and also seemed very persistent in its 

 ■k and made much more noise than any 

 whicli I had watclied feeding. As long as I 

 remained quiet the bird continued to work; but 

 when I moved about close to the tree it flew 

 I a neighboring tree. Before I had moved 

 vay ten feet, however, it was at work again. 

 On the 8tli of March the bird was still at 

 ork, and I noticed that the liole, wliich it 

 had begun, was almost a perfect circle. X 

 then made up my mind that this was to be a, 

 nest. On this day I also found another bird 

 vork on a similar tree about thirty feet 

 from where the lirst one was laboring, and 

 afterwai'd found several othei-s, examining 

 and testing the quality of different trees; but 

 as only two turned out fruitful my notes will 

 be confined to the description of these. On 

 tlie afternoon of the same day I was disgusted 

 ee a crow fly down and seize the bird while 

 at work on the nest found tlie day l)efore. I 

 then devoted my attention to the one found in 

 the morning, which turned out better. Tlie 

 female seemed to start the work, but aftci' 

 |tlie hole was well started the male did his 

 ■allure, 'i liey kept constantly busy as long as 

 ■\('i ylliiiig was quiet, but if an intruder made 

 iiiiich noise in approaching they would stoji 

 work at once. After they got well inside, so 

 that they could detach comparatively large 

 rdiips, tliey would carry them some twenty or 

 more feet from the nest tiefore depositing 

 them. Tliey always took pains to scatter 

 them as much as possible. Tlie lining of tlie 

 cavity was begun on the 2.oth of the monlli, 

 and I noticed that the male had nothing to 

 do with tliis. If lie brought any material 

 tlie female always relieved him of it at the 

 entrance to the nest and carried it inside 

 herself. 



On May 2d I thought from appearances 

 that the female was setting, as the male was 

 feeding her, while she remained in the nest. 

 I do not know wliother the male took his turn 

 in setting or not. The next morning, as cer- 

 tain reasons jirevented me from taking the 

 nest, and fearing tliat the eggs would become 

 incubated, I struck the base of the tree and 

 drove the bird from it. This was repeated 

 three times that day, and after that neither 

 bird was seen again. A section of tlie trunk 

 was cut out on tlio titiv of the month and 

 lowered to the ground. I proceeded to cut 

 away one side in order to get at the interior. 



Mar. 1890.J 



Upon looking into tlie nes^^^^^^^^^Z^^^;;^_ 



completely buried in the nest.'tiierel .r": 

 layer composed of strips of bark a.s much "as , 

 'l";;^';ter of an inch thick over the eggs 



. ';'""l''«ted the 8,1 of May, and in a situa 

 . t.on .similar to the first. On the lo t 

 "oticed the birds lining the lies 0^ ,1 

 atternoon of the i;^th, not having see, t , 

 >rds since the lUh, and fearing t.L «^ 

 deserted the nest, I climbed ■. t,-„„ 1 



cut open th<: nest."rfo:,r';::XS 

 cf,gs ami .,ust as I was ab,n,t to take tliem 



.0 e I decided t^;;:^ 



tnc eggs to see if tlie birds would ,„>f 

 and complete the set. Thl next 

 was much pleased to finiu,;'" ;—;! 

 t e nest--! could easily see her fr^m t ^ 

 ^n.und since cutting int., the cavity. The 



11"^ nth found me on hand with the neces 

 sary apphances for getting the nest. " 



n:::^zv;T' contained ".r;' 



ti n h , ' ' ^^"^ i"cuba- 



tion ha.d commenced. 



The trunks in both cases were so thoroughly 

 ecayed that they fnr„isl,ed no support so 

 t e nests were secured by fastening rop s 



them to a neighboring tree. Tlii.s tree was 

 ;en ascended, the cav.ty flUed with co on t. 

 ine ent damage to the eggs, and then a section 



;:t;":;::r"-*^-— rid,: 



The principal points of interest in re-^ard 

 to the nests and eggs are as follows- " 



The entrance to tlie lirst nest was some 

 twenty-tive or thirty feet from the ground a^ 

 wUlnn three feet of the top of 'the 1™ 

 llie diameter of the entrance is one a d 

 three-eighths inches; horizontal dept 1 thr e 

 ■"ches; vertical depth, six inches. Af er the 

 entrance was completed the inside was ma e , 

 much arger, like the nests of other bi L 

 whmh build in similar situations, the diam t 



almostentire,yoffln:s:::^^tI 

 making a very neat and warm abode. ' 



Ara OOLOGrST. 



coioi.\"r! '^^•"^^--I of a roseate-white 

 coloi, and covered quite thickly with reddish 



fe.?f ^ ''''' ''^''''""^ '^l^o^it thirty-five 

 eet from the ground. Its dimensions cm.^l- 

 pond very nearly to those of the former. 



' ho complete set of three eggs shows c.,ent 

 vanat on in markino-c »"ows gieat 



the color of T T' " 8™""'^ and 



ahno^ ■ ' abundant, 



almost luninng together at the lai-a-r end 

 torming a dense ring. Eon- No - 11 ' 

 ;aid after the nest was t^; jj^f 

 hstanceof two feet from the obs rver ee ns 

 tobep,„.e white; but upon closer ex'amii a 

 >onU .s found to be sprinkled with e^ 



•""-^■J<-,^^.0x.4.i,.02x.47. n. ir. Fn-nald. 



■ 0.& O. XV, M»r. leso p - V/ 



A Few ±i eats Cclected at Corn-wal], Vt. 

 Spring-1880. C. H. Parkhill. 



Red-bellied Nuthatch (SUta canadensis). 

 Collected May .*!Oth. The nest, whicli was in a 

 dead maple stub, ten feet from the ground, 

 was placed in a deserted Woodpecker's hole in 

 which, in 1888, was a nest of tlie Downy Wood- 

 pecker (Bryobatespiihescens). It was composed 

 of fine strips of bark and contained seven eggs, 

 incubation well begun. The old bird was [ 

 easily started from the nest by rapping on the 

 tree, but returned in every instance within ten i 

 minutes, hopping from branch to branch, and i 

 then darting down and poising for an instant I 

 in front of the hole, went inside. j 

 0.&0. V.Oct,. 1889 p ioO 



