OF KASTERX PENNSYLVANIA, 215 



hairs take the place of the former, In another 

 nest which we have before us, the fabric, exteriorly, 

 is composed of strips of rags and strings curiously 

 woven together, and lined with spiders' webs, and 

 the inner bark of the wild grape-vine. The period 

 required for the completion of a nest is from six 

 to seven days. 



That this species constructs its nest in the man- 

 ner described, we have both direct and indirect 

 evidence; direct, as furnished by our own personal 

 observations; and, indirect, in the possession of 

 several incomplete nests which show the primitive 

 pensile character, without the internal structure. 

 These incomplete nests were given to us by per- 

 sons who had little knowledge of the appearance 

 which a perfect nest should present. 



The foregoing description will be found to vary 

 in many particulars from the one given in "North 

 American Birds." The latter leads to the opinion 

 that the entire fabric constitutes one structure, 

 which may be the case in certain localities. It is 

 obvious from our experience, that there is an outer 

 structure as well as an inner one, which are 

 ultimately conjoined by interlacing bark-fibres, and 

 the floss of spiders' cocoons. Careful examinations 

 of many nests have convinced us that saliva is 

 unnecessary to the agglutination of their constituent 

 elements. The materials are so completely inter- 

 laced and held together by spiders' webs, &c,, 

 that the requisite compactness is secured without 

 the use of saliva. Add to this fact their tendency 



