A PHGEBE‘S NEST: Axu \‘ouxc
flutes: from fish: am: 5min?
A Phebe With Three Nests
In Hum-Lotte Vol. 111. pp, 85787, john Burroughs has contributed an article en- titled ‘ A Bewilderetl Phtebe,’ in which he shows that this bird evidently became con- fused in the selection of a nesting site in an environment to which it was likely unac- As Mr. Burroughs saw lit to interfere with the hitd‘.» labor in completing the fire ne had begun, the reader can only Conjecture as to what the results might have been in
custmued.
the inundation: of which she
this case had she been left undisturbed. I, fortunately. had the opportunity of observ- ing the Plurbe nest under conditions simi» lar to those described by Mr. Burroughs; and. as the birds were lelt to carry on their work, I thought the results might prove in— teresting in connection with those given by him.
The site selected lot nestvhuilding was upon a llOl‘ilOlllal beam over the entrance to a wood-shed. three pieces of studding. at distances of tif- teen inches apart and extending perpen- dicular to a floor above. At each end of the beam a piece at studdng formed an acute angle with the beam, presenting a quite different appearance from those where the three nests were built. by the accompanying picture that the three n The nests building was begun May 5, both hirds
Upon this beam were
It may be seen
'ng sites are exactly similari
taking part in the work, and ended May zo- Nests numbers r and 2 were completed about the same time and the foundation [or number 3 laitl. Numher 3 was then about three-fourths completed, after which two eggs were laid in number 2; one egg in number r. and two eggs in number 3, upon which the bird began ting May 26, and June to hatched the two young shown in the picture June 23, they left the nest.
The parent birds are seen about these nests occasionally, but have shown no ten- dency to build again this season.—A. ct DIKE, Brim], I'I.
Swallow's Nest on Board Boat*
I recently wrote to Captain Harris, for» nlerly of the steamer Horicon, on Lake George, New York, inquiring it the siyal» lows which. in the summer of 1900, nested beneath the guard-tails of his steamer had, in the three succeeding years. nested in similar places. His prompt reply was to the eflect that "the Swallows have built their nests under the guard»rails of the various steamers which 1 have been running [I judge upon Lake George] for the past fifty-five years." The Captain is now retired from duty. but inquired of his son, the pilot of the new steamer Sagamore. regarding the habits of the birds in the past two sea-
‘ 1n amnion. Vol, III. p no. Mr. Gates recorded the strange napitpt Swallous unieh built their nests on a steamer and apparently accumnanlt'd her on tier daily ltlvso' who miles.
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