on wonders of the birds' nests.



Ill



There is sometimes a considerable difference in the manufacture of

these nests, as well as in the materials which enter into their com¬

position. Both sexes seem to be equally adept at this kind of labour

and I have seen the female alone perform the whole without any

assistance, and the male also complete this laborious task nearly

without the aid of his consort, who, however, is, in general, the

principal worker. I have observed a nest made wholly of tow, which

was laid out for the convenience of a male bird, who, with this aid,

completed his labour in a very short time and frequently sang, in a

very ludicrous manner, while his mouth was loaded with a mass

larger than his head! ”


Where the birds whll build, however, and what they will use

embraces a catalogue of almost everything under the sun. We are

all of us familiar in the United States with Alice Cary’s charming

poem, “The Nest in the Pocket,” long included in all public-school

readers. You remember, of course, how a farmer, coming to the

barn in the spring to resurrect an old coat left there over the

winter, found that a bird had made its nest in the pocket. So he

let the coat hang and the birds reared their brood, then he took

possession again of his garment. The barn where this actually

" occurred stands near College Hill in Southern Ohio.


In this same State, near the village of Cheviot, we ourselves

chanced on a curious nest at one time, around which a clever story

might be written. ‘ Jack Roosa was advised by mother to study his

spelling,’ teacher would be quite apt to hold a “test” to-day. But

Jack was in a hurry to meet Martha at the cross-road and carry her

lunch-basket and books to school, so he neglected to give the time

to the “ boning.” The test came and Jack failed miserably. When

the papers came back he was so ashamed he tossed his in a crumpled

ball in the bushes. There a meadow-lai’k found it and worked it

into a nest, which we have kept to this day. To suit the story,

however, suppose that bird had built her nest where Mrs. Roosa

had found it, seen the paper as well—and well, you can imagine for

yourselves the conclusion !


As stated, there isn’t a place where birds will not build. Our

friend Bob White, bob-o-link, reed-bird, rice-bird, quail, as he is

known in the different places he comes to, makes his nest on the



