THE OOLOGIST. 



61 



boys aud men, (lelibcratcly build tlieir un- 

 comely home in a small evergreen tree, six 

 feet from the ground, in the suburbs of the 

 city, not lifteen rods from four or five houses 

 for two successive years ; in a place, more- 

 over, which formed the very rendezvous of 

 numbers of boys, — does there not seem to 

 be some inconsisteucy as far as the relation 

 (d' protection with position is concerned? 

 Indeed, there is something which seems al- 

 most unaccountable in this latter case ; for 

 the parents when off the nest, were as Avihl 

 as a Crow proverbially is, since they could 

 not be ap])roached within gunshot. Under 

 wliicli of the already suggested causes of 

 choice of situation can we properly place 

 tliis instance? It is not likely they sought 

 protection — at least tiie circumstances are 

 against such a sup})Osition. Was there any- 

 tliing to be gained in tlie situation? It did 

 not seem possible there could be, for there 

 were favoi-able nesting places, offering pro- 

 tection everywhere about the adjacent coun- 

 try, where Crows bred in large munbers. 

 Then, while we must debar this as a case 

 of actual confidence, there are evident traces 

 of whim and of carelessness, from which we 

 cannot always detract assurance. 



If man shows toward the birds about 

 him his desii'e to protect them, they have 

 no fear of nesting in close proximity to him, 

 and do so sometimes at great inconvenience 

 of po>>^ition. Swallows will rear their young 

 within a lew feet of constant movement and 

 noise ; Cedar Birds frequently make their 

 nests within a few feet of the dwellings of 

 man ; the Baltimore and Orchard Orioles 

 siiow their confidence in man by nesting in 

 lilac bushes aud saplings close to his door. 

 The Wild Pigeon not a great many years 

 since, nested with great confidence iu the 

 vicinity of houses, in a number of instances 

 in the low orchard trees ; but when their 

 indiscriminate destruction was begun, they 

 lost their assurance and sought wilder and 

 safer localities. Gradually, as they were 

 di-i\ en fartiier and farthei- into wild regions, 

 we notice that they built their nests higher 

 until they occupied the highest beech aud 

 maple trees. Chipping and Song Sparrows, 



Yellow Birds and Pewees show great con- 

 fidence in nesting close by railroads, iu 

 bridges, and upon supports, where trains 

 and vehicles are constantly passing, and in 

 the presence of jarring and rattling. The 

 same may be said of some of the Hawks 

 aud Blackbirds. 



Let us look briefly at adiiptation. A 

 Robin finds the sill of a barn to answer her 

 purpose better than the crotch in the apple 

 tree, where she had nested for a series of 

 seasons ; and despite its proximity to pass- 

 ing persons and the apparent fact of nothing 

 gained, she forthwith builds her nest there. 

 There can be no doubt that in nuiny cases 

 of adaptation of situation, the builder is act- 

 uated by a desire for protection, as ofien in 

 the adaptation of materials for tlie conceal- 

 ment of the eggs. But when, as previous- 

 ly mentioned, birds nest close to i-ailroads 

 and well-traveled highways, it seems as if 

 there must certainly be some charm in the 

 situation — some advantage, — else why 

 leave a naturally quiet and rather retired 

 place for one so exposed and noisy? An 

 interesting instance of adaptation coming 

 under the head of advantage in situation, 

 coupled perhaps with something of a desire 

 for the protection of concealment, is shown 

 iu the choice of a nest l)y a pair of House 

 Wrens. Working their way through a fis- 

 sure caused by a powder blast in a stone 

 quarry, they found at the end a snug en- 

 largement, where they built a nest, laid 

 their eggs and successfully reared four little 

 Wrens, unconscious of the f.ict of their pos- 

 sible total destruction at any moment. This 

 is a good illustration of adaptation. Sure- 

 ly, the instance mentioned in our February 

 number, of the placing of a Broad-winged 

 Hawk's nest in an evergreen tree, seems to 

 us a singular whim on the part of the birds, 

 unless they became totally lost to all other 

 consideration.s by the temptation of an al- 

 ready laid foundation ; for it is a noticeable 

 peculiarity of the Buteouiclce to vie with 

 each other in placing their nests in the loft- 

 iest and most inaccessible trees. 



There is a fitting illustration of adapta- 

 ' tiou, combined with coufideuce and fondness 



