114 WAKE-ROBIN 



ground. ' It was quite a massive nest, composed 

 entirely of the stalks and leaves of dry grass, with 

 an inner lining of fine, dark brown roots. The 

 eggs, three in number, were of light flesh-color, 

 uniformly specked with fine brown specks. The 

 cavity of the nest was so deep that the back of the 

 sitting bird sank below the edge. 



In the top of a tall tree, a short distance farther 

 on, I saw the nest of the red- tailed hawk, — a large 

 mass of twigs and dry sticks. The young had 

 flown, but still lingered in the vicinity, and, as I 

 approached, the mother bird flew about over me, 

 squealing in a very angry, savage manner. Tufts 

 of the hair and other indigestible material of the 

 common meadow mouse lay around on the ground 

 beneath the nest. 



As I was about leaving the woods my hat almost 

 brushed the nest of the red-eyed vireo, which hung 

 basket-like on the end of a low, drooping branch of 

 the beech. I should never have seen it had the 

 bird kept her place. It contained three eggs of the 

 bird's own, and one of the cow bunting. The 

 strange egg was only just perceptibly larger than 

 the others, yet three days after, when I looked into 

 the nest again and found all but one egg hatched, 

 the young interloper was at least four times as large 

 as either of the others, and with such a superabun- 

 dance of bowels as to almost smother his bedfellows 

 beneath them. That the intruder should fare the 

 same as the rightful occupants, and thrive with 

 them, was more than ordinary potluck; but that it 



