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138 Bird-Lore to conceal myself. The parent birds became quite brave in trying to drive me away; after noticing that I remained perfectly quiet they became more daring as time passed, and finally so daring as to peck me in the face. These birds were many times within the striking distance of a rattlesnake. I next took my position near a Robin's nest containing young. After I had re- mained quiet for some time, the female came very close — close enough for the rattler's forward cast. I have repeated these observations in the field, with thesame results. I therefore have concluded that snakes have no charm, but that the snake in search of food or in its wanderings approaches a young bird or a bird's nest. The parent birds, in trying to drive the intruder away, become more daring until finally they come within striking distance. I have had one experience, and in this case the snake remained perfectly quiet while the bird was Hying about it. The snake, however, was not a venomous one. — J. Parsons Schaeffer, East Green- ville, Pa. Photographing a Red-tailed Hawk's Nest Bird-lovers have their 'Mecca,' some favored place where bird life is abundant and undisturbed and where flower and beauty of surroundings add their charm. Our 'Mecca' is all of this, where an upland farm runs down to a perpendicular ledge, ioo feet high beneath which brush lots run into a swamp and woodland. Beneath the ledges a colony of Hooded Warblers had nested for years, and Black- throated Green, Worm-eating, Blue-winged and most all of the common birds nest freely. In the midst of this place in a tall chestnut tree a pair of Red-shouldered Hawks repaired their nest year after year, and when in 1904 we found the nest re- paired and a new kind of scream came down to us as a large Hawk flew high above, we were loath to believe it could be a Red-tailed Hawk, until from the top of the ledge we had seen the sun strike the red- dish tail feathers, as the birds flew scream- ing back and forth, and had found a tail feather beneath the nest, for it is very rarely that the Red-tail nests in this vicinity. This spring (1905) the same birds (pre- sumably) repaired the same nest and we determined to photograph the nest and young if possible, so on May 14, we made the attack with climbing irons and ropes. There was no possible chance to work from the nest tree, but a straight chestnut stood some fifteen feet away and this I climbed, though not without some misgivings, for I was not at all sure but that the old birds might attack me. As I climbed, the screaming birds flew higher and higher until they were almost out of sight in the blue; and in fact, it was very difficult at any time to get near enough to see the old bird on the nest, as she would leave her nest at the first sight of us. At a height of fifty-four feet I could look into the nest, and only one newly hatched, downy chick was there; so, tying myself to a limb above and resting on the spurs, I strapped my tripod to the trunk and, using my coat as a focusing cloth, secured the picture of the nest and chick, while my friend photo- graphed me and the nest from the ground; which shows well both the height of the nest and the difficulties under which my picture was obtained. — Wilbur F. Smith, South Norivalk, Conn. Notes from Plainfield, New Jersey Least Flycatcher. — This species has been far less numerous this year than usual. The Kingbird also appears to be less common than it was a few years ago. Carolina Wren. — On June 10 I found the first nest of this species ever known of here. The four young left the nest safely on June 22. As far as I know, this family of Caro- lina Wrens is the only one within eight or ten miles of Plainfield, although it is not improbable thaf there are a very few others. I first met with this Wren in the vicinity of Plainfield on July 4, 1898. It steadily increased in numbers from that date until February, 1904, during which month the heavy snows cut off the food supply and all perished from starvation and cold with the exception of the pair mentioned above and possibly a few others.— W. DeW. Miller, Plainfield N. J.