(490) avoid them all. As far as I could see, there was no concentration at the nest. (Temp. 58). October 30th. B is dry. 8:30. About 8:15 I saw Brownie going to the glade. As I entered he came to me looking perfectly dry after a night of hard rain and strong south wind. He took one worm and ate it, then a second and spent nearly a minute breaking it up on the ground--a sure sign that it was not intended for his own consumption. As I reached the nest, Greenie was away, B came with the worm, reached down into the nest and the worm disappeared. He reached down again, withdrew his head and the worm was in his beak. He then swallowed it after having made what appeared to be an unsuccessful effort to feed it. I had not yet felt in the nest to see what the latest news was. B was now well settled, but I put my fingers underneath him and he very accom- modatingly stood up, perfectly at ease, interested, and with no sign of fear or hostility. There were two young and no egg. B then reached down and picked out an oak leaf which I had just felt in the nest and threw it away. I looked all around the ground under the tree for the missing egg, but could find nothing but the large , perfectly empty large end of one shell. The impression I got was that the birds had discovered one egg to be a dud and had taken it away. (Temp. 57) 10:10 A.M. At 10 o'clock I was watching Brownie in the nest to note the effect of the strong wind and light rain. He is quite dry. Greenie appeared (also dry), about 6 inches from my ear, in the house, with nothing in her bill. She went over to the nest. Brownie would not get out, but raised his bill and seemed to argue wordlessly. G then stepped over his head to a twig and B reached up took hold of her "drum-stick" and gave it a pull, releasing it at once. G climbed higher and disappeared. The appearance of the whole affair was as if B were chiding his mate for not bringing food, ordering her to go and get some and giving her a parting physical B prepares worm as if to feed young. He fails. B stands up to let me feel under him. 2 chicks, no eggs. B removes leaves. Missing egg not found. B does not want G to take nest.