36 TELE AW DOB ON BUS eles 
I consulted all the authorities I could find on the nesting habits of 
the Bewick. One said, ‘“‘ They lay four to six eggs.” Another gave five to 
seven. Amos Butler in “‘ Birds of Indiana,” says the incubation period 
is two weeks, and that the little birds remain in the nest for two weeks 
more. He also says that they all return to the nest to roost every night, 
after they are able to fly. 
On June 3rd, 4th and 5th, Miss B. and I checked up on the feeding. 
We were able to sit inside a window overlooking the box and see the 
comings and goings. The male came about every eight minutes with 
food for the female. He stopped on the fence rail nearby, and called 
‘“Kree-ee?” several times, his tail falling loosely from side to side. We 
could recognize him from afar by that funny flopping tail! After 
calling a few times he shook himself vigorously and flew to the top of 
the box. He always entered by the north opening and -came out almost 
immediately by the middle one. We could hear little soft notes of 
appreciation from the female. She came out occasionally and flew with 
him straight toward the bird bath. She was gone about seven minutes 
each time and used the south entrance exclusively. He came in 
another eight minutes with a worm or moth for her. 
He was nervous and excited if a jay or other bird came near the box 
and once, hearing him scolding unusually, we looked out and found 
he was fretting over a quail which was innocently walking by in his 
neighborhood. 
June 1oth, just two weeks from the day the incubation began, there 
was a tiny bird in the nest. It did not seem much larger than a wasp 
and had about as many feathers as a wasp! There were only five eggs 
left and no sign of broken shell. The mother bird stayed on the nest most 
of the time. The male brought something for the baby, so small we 
could hardly see that he had anything in his bill. We had noticed that 
he was hunting on the bark of the trees as the Chickadee does, and 
evidently had found an insect egg, a morsel appropriate for so small a 
mite. It was quite different from the worms and moths he had brought 
to the female. 
Unfortunately I was obliged to be away for two weeks so this was 
my last visit for awhile. But Dr. C. looked in the box two days later, 
June 12th, and all the eggs were hatched. He counted five little birds, 
and thought there might be more but said they looked so shivery and 
naked that he did not want to keep the box open longer. June 14th 
Miss B. went out to see them. She counted six. She wrote: “‘The 
mother bird was on the nest at first, so I had to wait. I established my- 
self on the seat in the dressing room. The father came three times with 
bugs but did not sing or make a sound. Then suddenly the mother flew 
out and that was my opportunity. The nest was well filled with gray 
fuzzy babies, 6 of them. They were asleep so I did not wake them. 
The mother looked rather scraggly and the worse for wear.” 
