246 FRANCIS H. HERRICK 



of its attic windows.^' Now the interesting fact to notice in the 

 case of these doves is that, as often happens, they used the 

 remains of an old robin's nest as the foundation for their own. 

 The presence of such a ready made support evoked in them the 

 building responses, and it is safe to say that the old nest at that 

 particular point and indeed in that particular tree determined 

 the presence of the new one. We may add in passing that this 

 nest was begun by the male on April i6, and finished by him 

 on the following day; it was composed mainly of roots taken 

 from a freshly dug trench close to the tree. 



While certain species habitually nest high and others low, the 

 question of vertical height is unimportant within limits. These 

 limits, moreover, are determined by other habits and would be 

 greater in high flying doves than in cuckoos, which keep closer 

 to the ground. Unimportant too in many cases is the nature 

 of the support, for we cannot credit the bird with man's concept 

 of " natural," as distinguished from " artificial " structures. 



While we appreciate the futility of drawing general conclu- 

 sions upon most phases of this subject without taking refuge 

 in the proviso that some species or individuals are likely to 

 vary more and others less, we shall endeavor to consider the 

 problem from the standpoint of the bird, and first in the case 

 of the robin, the cuckoo, and the chimney swift. 



The robin in nest-building looks primarily for a good support, 

 that is good in both the physical and biological sense, or suitable 

 in reference to its methods of construction and other habits; 

 since such supports abound great variation in this respect is 

 inevitable ; now we find its nest close to the ground or even upon 

 it. now in the crotch of a mere sapling or saddled to the high 

 horizontal branch of an apple tree or elm. I have seen the robin 

 nesting on the end of a stick which a farmer had set against 

 his barn, on the stump of a tree recently felled, as well as against 

 the protecting side of the corded wood to which a tree had been 

 reduced; then it may build on a roof-gutter when it is liable 

 to be disturbed by the householder, on a porch shelf, or on a 

 neat bracket set against the wall of house or barn expressly for 

 its use. Many such sites evoke in certain individual robins the 

 same kind of response, and many are chosen in consequence. 



-^ For calling my attention to this nest I am indebted to Mrs. Robert Ruedy, 

 of Cleveland Heights Village, Ohio. 



