THE ROBIN. 3 



under so multifarious conditions, the nests naturally vary as 

 much in construction as in situation. Persons who wish to 

 pursue this part of the subject farther will find some very sug- 

 gestive thoughts in an article by Dr. C. C. Abbott, printed in the 

 Popular Science Monthly, Vol. VI, February, 1875, page 481, 

 entitled " A Short Study of Birds' Nests." The robin's ordi- 

 nary method of architecture is as follows : when a place has 

 been chosen, a little mud is first brought and patted by the feet 

 into a suitable shape for the foundation. Upon this is laid a 

 platform of coarse grasses, and walls of the same materials 

 are gradually erected, intermixed with a plentiful allowance of 

 mud, smoothed and compacted by the feet and breast of the 

 bird, which frequently saturates its feathers with water, the 

 better to accomplish the result. This foundation is allowed to 

 dry fully before the wall is further increased, and each addition 

 is supported by another plastering of mud, until the proper 

 height of wall is reached, when the whole is given plenty of 

 time to harden before the rim is overcast with grass, so as not 

 to break under the mother's feet while she feeds her young, 

 after which the lining of soft grasses is put in. Sometimes 

 one or the other will bring material unsuitable for a certain 

 stage of the construction. This will not be thrown down and 

 forgotten, but simply laid one side and used when the proper 

 time comes ; and occasionally some soft matter, like cotton, 

 will get in, but does not then seem to be utilized by the bird in 

 the way of increased comfort, but only for stability. 



A curious deviation from the mud walls was noticed 

 near New York City. Two robins built nests in the same 

 orchard. One worked after the ordinary pattern, the other 

 used for the main body of the structure fine fibrous roots and 

 twine; she then added clean damp moss {Sphagnum) instead 

 of mud, which she must have gone at least a mile to obtain. 

 To hold the moss in place she interwove long horse hairs and 

 fine dry grass. It took her four or five days to complete the 

 structure, whei'eas the mud nest was completed the same day 

 it was begun. Mr. A. F. Gray writes me that he lately saw 

 two robins' nests on the Massachusetts coast, built almost 

 entirely of bleached eel-grass ; they were unusually bulky .and 



