BIRDS OF MASSACHUSETTS. 281 



The construction of this nest is a singular process of art. 

 The male takes a string, stolen perhaps from a window, and 

 with his bill and claws ties one end to a drooping twig of an 

 elm or some orchard tree. Having secured this, he proceeds 

 to fasten the other end, in the same manner, to another twig 

 drooping parallel with the former, a few inches distant, letting 

 it fall between the two twigs like a swing. The female then 

 comes and fastens another string so as to cross the former, and 

 to keep the twigs in their place as a circular frame-work for 

 the nest. Having thus determined its depth and circumfer- 

 ence, they proceed to weave a coarse cloth, with such materi- 

 als as they can find, forming a pouch, impenetrable to the ele- 

 ments, in the bottom of which they place the real nest, the 

 whole fabric being shaded by the arbor of leaves above it from 

 the rain and the heat of the sun. They take such materials as 

 come to hand ; skeins of silk and thread, which have been 

 missed by housewives, have been found at last, woven into the 

 baltimore's nest. It is difficult to understand how they can do 

 this without the aid of mechanic art ; but Nuttall observed 

 that a tame one was constantly endeavoring to thrust his bill 

 between the closed fingers, in order to force them open ; which 

 helps to explain the manner in which they open interstices and 

 insert threads in the process of weaving. The female lays 

 from four to six eggs, of pale brown, dotted, spotted and lined 

 with dark brown. A day or two before the young are able to 

 leave the nest, they creep in and out, and sometimes cling to 

 the outside. After leaving it, they are fed and protected by 

 their parents for several days, and then driven forth to try their 

 own fortunes in the world. 



The motions of this bird are singularly animated and grace- 

 ful. They are often seen clinging by the feet, like a rope- 

 dancer, in order to reach some insect from a branch beneath 

 them. In the spring, they feed almost entirely on insects, and 

 it is evident, that, numerous and active as they are, their servi- 

 ces must be of great value. Nor can they be accused of doing 

 harm to any extent, natural as it would seem for them to claim 

 some reward for their labors. They are often charged with 

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