MICHIGAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 
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follow up work of this character requires considerable time as well as 
patience. The sixth nest had four (4) eggs and I expected to see a 
family. This was on Ford farm. Dearborn, where visitors go for amuse- 
ment and occasionally for bird study. I showed a number visiting one 
day the nest of this last mentioned Meadow Lark. The grass was 
tramped down, which was probably responsible for what one of the 
men on the farm claimed was a Gopher coming within half AN hour 
and taking the eggs. I saw the marks of the teeth in the last re- 
maining egg. Taking it for granted that the three with young each 
brought the latter to maturity, it would make nine (9) for the twelve 
(12) birds. 
Four nests of (lie brown Thrasher all in trees averaging from one 
to three feet above ground, two with three (3) young and two with 
four (4) were located. A cat got one of the young of the last men- 
tioned, but so far as I could keep track of them the other youngsters 
survived, which would make thirteen birds for eight (8) parents. Three 
nests of the yellow Warbler were located, two with four eggs. Sub- 
sequently one of these had four (4) young and the other three (3). I 
found an egg on the ground and presumed it rolled out sometime when 
(lie bird was suddenly flushed. Of the other two (2) nests one had 
three eggs of the Warbler and one egg of the Cowbird. 1 removed the 
latter and subsequently there were three (3) young which left the nest 
successfully. The fourth nest had two young when discovered and they 
left the nest in condition to fight the battle of life. That made twelve 
(12) young for the eight parents. These nests were from four to six 
feet above ground. Two nests were in crataegus. These two latter both 
brought out the young successfully. The foliage on these trees is very 
dense and the thorns keep out intruders and if eighteen (18) nests of 
small birds found in cratsegus trees not one contained a Uowbird’s egg, 
making them the most ideal nesting places found. I have reference to 
the smaller species of cratsegus growing not more than six feet in height. 
Three nests of the Indigo Bunting had a total of thirteen (13) eggs, 
four in two and five in one. They were in trees averaging from four 
to nine feet above ground. They all successfully hatched but the young 
of the top most were destroyed. Two king birds nests were watched, 
one twenty feet and the other thirty above ground. One was destroyed 
by some climbing animal and the other had five young. A Chickadee 
(Parus atricapillus) , nesting in a hollow ironwood tree and the White- 
breasted Nuthatch (Sitta Carolinensis) each brought out six and five 
young respectively. 
Summarizing results I concluded that birds have no infallible pro- 
tective of instincts and that evolution is such a slow process that a 
species is liable to diminish greatly in changing habits to meet new 
conditions, such as the destruction of our forests, naturally impose. 
Many of the young birds do not have a fair start, coming out of the 
nest before they are in condition to wage the fierce battle necessary. 
Undoubtedly many are crowded out of the nest before they can fly and 
fall a prey to rats, mice, snakes and cats. It is my impression that 
many of the nests are too small for (he family the bird attempts to 
rear. The dews no doubt kill many that cannot fly. Altogether the 
destruction is appalling to the bird lover. So great is i( under natural 
