246 



THE WESTERN ROBIN. 



not being withdrawn from nmsl familiar cil)ser\ation. Indeed, as in the case 



of the accompanying illustration, the l)ird appears rather to ciuirt notoriety. 



The major crotches of orchard or shade trees are not shunned. From tive 



to fifteen feet is the 

 usual elevation, but 

 nests are sometimes 

 found at fifty feet; 

 and again, tho rare- 

 1\', on the ground. 

 ^^'in(ll)w sills and 

 beams iif pi_)rches, 

 barns, and outbuild- 

 ings are favorite 

 places, and, in de- 

 fault of these, brush- 

 piles or log-heaps 

 will do. 



The mud used in 

 construction is, of 

 course, carried in the 

 beak. Arrived at 

 the nest with a beak- 

 ful of mud, the 

 mother bird drops 

 her load, or plasters 

 it loosel}' on the in- 

 side of the cup. 

 Then she hops into 

 the nest, settles as 

 low as possil)le, and 

 begins to kick or 

 trample vigorously 

 \v\th her feet. From 

 time to time she 

 tests the smoothness 

 or roundness of the 

 job by settling to it 

 with her breast, but 



the shaping is altogether accomplished by the peculiar tedder action of 



her feet. 



On the other hand, one Rol)in"s nest which I found in the open sage had 



no mud in its construction and was altogether composed of felted \'egetable 



Tdhcii in Miclngan. 



From a Ftiotograf^li Lopyrigitt , 1908, by L. G. Liiiklctter. 

 THE ROBIN'S \EST. 



