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 142 Bird -Lore bolls of the l^iittonliall tree, being of that color and texture; the sides of the nest were solidly compacted. Unlike the usual style of nest-building, the nest and all in- side was finished before the outside re- ceived its embellishments. This was done lastly, and was the most interesting part of the building; or, I may truly say, decorating. The little bird, with its long bill, could reach nearly all the outside of the nest while sitting in it; looking over the side she artistically covered it piece by piece with lichens that gave the domicile the appearance of the bark of the tree. These little pieces of lichen stick on quite tightly; there is a network of fine spider- web over the rough finish, and on this the little plates of lichen was stuck and pressed on firmly. I am inclined to think the bird used a gum from the balsam of fir tree, for while finishing the nest she frequented a tree of that kind and pecked at the terminal buds; it may have been for insects, but I think for the sap that exudes from the buds, as some other birds use it — particu- larly the Baltimore Oriole. I never see them so engaged after building time. The female Hummer seemed very anxious about external appearances, as she frequently looked over the outside and touched up the beautiful covering while incubating. I did not look into the nest while the eggs were in it, but in due time two little downy heads appeared above the edge of the nest. The female bird did not cover either eggs or young as regularly as most small birds do. I was afraid her absence would spoil the eggs, for she slid off when any one passed down the path or was working in the garden near by; yet the eggs hatcheil. I never saw the male take any part in feeding; he was often looking on from a dead twig of a near-by tree, and once I saw him make an attempt to drive away a Sparrow; this was worth observing, as there were many Sparrows and other small birds about. I took particular notice they did not alight on the branch this nest was on, but on all other parts of the tree. There was a pear growing on the tip end of the branch, and as it grew larger it began to lower the nest on one side, hut the inmates seemed equal to the occasion, for they kept their heads and bodies as far on the opposite side of the nest as possible. While the laills of many young birds are proportionately longer, the bills of the baby Hummers are shorter than their parents' — not more than half their length. The method of feeding is a curious instance of nature's means to an end; the old bird puts its bill quite down the throat of the young, and with a gurgling and quivering motion, shaking its head up and down, discharges the nourishment into the young one's crop or stomach. This is often re- peated, especially in the early morning and evening, at an interval of seven or ten minutes. The little creatures soon fill the nest tightly; in two weeks they appear un- comfortably close, when one will get on the side of the nest, and, soon after, out of it, returning at night to sleep in the nest, till able to fy well, after which they do not forsake the locality as many birds do, but feed and rest near by for several weeks; they choose a dead twig of a near tree or shrub, where one rests at a time; as soon as another one comes the first moves off as if playing tag. The young remain grayer in color than the old birds, probably till the spring. I frequently saw them catch small flies on the wing in late summer and return to their perch, sometimes uttering a very light twitter. About the middle of September they left for more congenial climes. This year, 1900, a pair came, perhaps the same birds, as they built on a low branch of a pear tree close to the old site. — Henry H.les, Ridgenjvood, Neuj Jersey. Food of the Downy Woodpecker On August 9 and 10, 1898, I saw a Downy Woodpecker at work on a mullein head pecking open the seed-cases, almost every one of which held a little yellowish white grub rolled up inside. I found that seed-vessels that contained grubs were brown, while those on the same stalk free from them were still green, and observed that the Woodpecker only opened the brown ones. — W. E. Cram, Hampton Falls. . II.