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Show 160 MR. W. H. HUDSON ON T H E [Mar. 3, October 8, 1872.-This morning, whilst reading under a tree, attention was attracted by a shrill note, as of a bird in distress, issuing from the Leiiatero's nest; after Ijaving heard it repeated at intervals for more than twenty minutes I went to ascertain the cause. The Bay-wings flew up from the ground under the nest; and on searching in the rank clover that grew under the tree I discovered the female Lenatero with plumage wet and draggled, tumbling and appearing half dead with the rough treatment she had experienced. I put her in the sun ; and in about half an hour's time, hearing her mate calling, she managed to flutter feebly away and joined him. The persecutors had evidently dragged her from the nest, and probably would have killed her had I not come so opportunely to the rescue. Since writing the above I have watched the nest every day. Both the Bay-wings and Lefiateros had left it; within a week's time the owners of the nest returned and resumed possession. Three or four days afterwards the Bay-wings also came back; but on finding the nest still occupied they took possession of an unfinished oven of the Oven-bird on a separate tree within twenty yards of the nest, and immediately began carrying in materials to line it with. After having left them time sufficient to finish laying, 1 took their five eggs, at the same time throwing down the oven, and waited to see what the next move would be. They remained on the spot singing incessantly and manifesting anxiety when approached. I observed them four days, and was then away from home as many more; on returning I found the Lefiateros had disappeared and their great nest was again held by the Bay-wings. I also noticed that the latter hadopened an entrance at the side of the nest and near the bottom; for the receptacle of the eggs is placed at the lower extremity, and is reached by a narrow covered passage from the top. It was now about the end of October, the height of the breeding-season, and numbers of Blackbirds constantly visited the nest; but I was particularly interested in a p^ir of the M. rufoaxillaris that had also begun to grow fond of this nest, the theatre of so much contention, and I resolved to watch these birds very closely. As these last birds spent so much of their time near the nest, showing great solicitude whenever I approached it, I thought perhaps they would take possession and breed in it could the Bay-wings be driven out. I therefore waited patiently, giving the Bay-wings time to lay the full complement of eggs ; for I did not wish to shoot them, and believed that when they found themselves deprived a second time of their eggs they would certainly decamp. In a few weeks time I climbed to the nest, and found, very much to my astonishment, ten eggs, instead of four or five as I had confidently expected. All these eggs were of the Bay-wings, and I concluded that the two females were laying together ; for, as I said in a former communication on the subject, more than one female will sometimes lay in the same nest. After taking the ten eggs the Bay-wings still remained; and I observed them a great deal, but could never see more than one pair about the nest. The next time I climbed to the nest it contained five eggs; these I also took, and thought that the |