142 THE PHCEBE. 



disposed to self-domestication than any other bird of our 

 country. 



As an architect, Phoebe is by no means uniform 

 in her method. Though often constructing a mere 

 mud-hut, strengthened by any fibrous or strawy mate- 

 rial, placed on a projection under the piazza, on 

 a beam in the sheds, or on the under structure of 

 a bridge, she may build it almost wholly of shreds of bark, 

 of fine rootlets, lichens, and grasses, or of mosses, using 

 little or no mud. Two nests now before me are both curi- 

 ous and beautiful. The one found under a bridge is 

 double, every part being new. It is built of lichens, moss, 

 dried grass, and very fine rootlets, and lined with white 

 silken fibres and horse-hair, the bulk containing a few 

 pellets of mud as a cement. The apartment of this double 

 nest, which was less finished and contained no eggs, was 

 evidently built first, as the pellets of mud used in cement- 

 ing the outside of the other which was closely joined to it, 

 extend over its edge and into the nearer side of the interior. 

 The more highly finished nest contained five fresh eggs, of 

 the usual size, some .75 x -50 inch, and pure w^hite, and 

 underneath these was a Cow Blackbird's ^%%, built out after 

 the manner of some of the smaller birds. 



What could have been the occasion of this double nest? 

 As the unoccupied nest was built first, and was a little 

 sidling, I infer that the bird had time to build in addition a 

 perfectly upright one, which was more satisfactory, and 

 therefore more highly finished. (These twin nests are a 

 fine brown without and a delicate gray within.) Mr. Minot 

 mentions a pair, which, being late in building, "proceeded 

 to construct, side by side in a shed, two nests, which were 

 finished at the same time. While the male fed the young 

 of the first brood in one nest, the female laid the eggs of a 



