Pelee ae Ue Dele BOON © Ba ly Let tN 23 

Photo by F. G. Paulus 
YOUNG ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK 
away and flew to their nest with them. 
The writer is anxious to know if 
this habit has been observed by other 
bird students. 
CARL F’.. GRONEMANN 

The Purple Martins re- 
turning in the spring to the 
house I have erected for 
them have adopted a curious 
nest-building habit. Besides 
collecting the usual material 
I have seen them fly to the 
nearest cherry and _ pear 
trees; tear the green leaves 
from the uppermost 
branches and carry them to 
their nest. In northern 
Wisconsin, in the spring of 
1921, a pair of Martins oc- 
cupying a nail barrel which 
had been erected for them, 
possessed the same curious 
habit. Here, however, they 
chose the leaves of the Balm 
of Gilead (Populus balsami- 
fera) which they also picked 
from the topmost branches 
of a tree about 100 yards 

Below— A—A perfect 
cherry blossom. Above—B— 
cherry blossom with calyx 
removed by  Rose-breasted 
Grosbeak. 
