THE RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET. 



271 



examination shows it to be rather an assemblage of all sorts of soft substances, 

 vegetable downs, cottons from the pussy willows and cottonwood trees, 

 weathered anients. hair, fine grass (in abundance), with occasional strange 

 inclusions, such as spider-egg cases, dried flower-stalks, and the like. The 

 lining is e.xclusi\ely of feathers, those from the breast of the Robin being 



Taken near Newport. 



RUBY'S BASKETFUL. 



Photo by Dazi'son and Bowles. 



most in e\-idence. A few of these curled up from under tlie neatly turned 

 brim, so as to partly conceal the contents; but only a little effort was required 

 to obtain a ]5erfect view of the eggs from abo\"e. 



I counted the glowing pile, slowly, calmly, as a miser counts his gold 

 when the bolts are shot — twice to make sure — one, two. three, * * * nine, 

 the last one being thrnwn in on top of the heap for good measure. 



The eggs were marvelousl\- fresh, insomuch that in blowing them Mr. 

 Bowles coaxed seven of the nine yolks out unbroken thru the mere needle- 



