THE IXDIO > IJL'XTING. 



emphatic that the inquisitor believes himself "hot" when he may Lie a dozen 

 yards away. As a result the nest is rather hard to find; and the number found 



in a season's nesting will he 

 out of all proportion to the 

 abundance of the birds. 



The nests, while usually 

 bulk\-. are models of neatness 

 and strength. Dead leaves 

 and grasses make up its 

 mass, and there is a copious 

 lining of fine grasses with 

 an admixture of horse-hair. 

 Often two, and sometimes 

 three, broods are raised in a 

 season. 



The eggs are of a beauti- 

 ful pale blue, warmed, while 

 fresh, by the color of the 

 contents. ( )f their occasion- 

 al variatii m 1 >r. O iues says : 

 "The egg is variously de- 

 scribed as pure white, plain 

 blue, or bluish speckled with 

 reddish. The fact appears to 

 be. not that these statements 

 are conflicting or any of 

 them erroneous, but that dif- 

 ferent eggs vary accord- 

 ingly. It seems to be the general rule with ni >rmally bluish eggs that they range 

 in shade from quite blue to white, and are occasionally speckled.'' 



I 



lear Oberlin. Photo by Lynds ./. 



NEST AND EGGS OF THE INDIGO-BIRD. 



