416 GRAY LADY AND THE BIRDS 
it. This pensile nest is diligently woven of grasses, twine, 
vegetable fibres, horsehair, bits of worsted, or anything 
manageable and varies much in size and shape, as if the 
matter of individual taste entered somewhat into the 
matter. It has been fairly well proven that location 
enters largely into this matter, and that nests in wild 
regions, where birds of prey, etc., abound, are smaller 
at the top and have a more decided neck than those in 
the trees of home lawns and orchard. Of the many nests 
that I have found and handled or else observed closely 
with a glass, the majority have been quite open at the 
top like the one pictured, and the only one with a narrow 
and funnel-like opening came from a wayside elm on the 
edge of a dense wood. 
“The female seems to be weaver-in-chief, using both 
claw and bill, though I have seen the male carry her 
material. It is asserted that Orioles will weave gayly 
coloured worsteds into their nests. This I very much 
doubt, or if they do, I believe it is for lack of something 
more suitable. I have repeatedly fastened varicoloured 
bunches of soft linen twine, carpet-thread, flosses, and the 
like under the bark of trees frequented by Orioles, and 
with one exception, it has been the more sombre tints that 
were selected, though I am told that nests are found made 
of very bright colours. 
“Tn the exceptional case a long thread of scarlet linen 
floss was taken and woven into the nest for about half its 
length, the remainder hanging down; but on resuming 
my watch the next day, I found that the weaver had left 
the half-finished task and crossed the lawn to another 
tree. Whether it was owing to the presence of red squir- 
