66 THE ARCHITECTURE OF BIRDS. 
straws, hay, pieces of wool, and tow; and, lastly, a 
thick layer of fine fibrous roots, of a light brown 
colour, lines the whole. The eggs are four, some- 
times five, of a cinereous blue, marked with large 
blotches of brown. The female sits fourteen days ; 
and generally produces two broods in the season, 
unless robbed of her eggs, in which case she will 
even build and lay the third time. Attempts have 
been made to induce these charming birds to pair, 
and rear their young in a state of confinement, and 
the result has been such as to prove it, by proper 
management, perfectly practicable. ” | 
The red-winged starling (Sturnus predatorius, 
Witson, Agelaus pheniceus of modern naturalists) 
is not only remarkable for his basket-work, but also 
for the variety with which his nest is, according to 
circumstances, constructed, furnishing one of the 
best instances with which we are acquainted, of the 
adaptation of means to ends. ‘ About the 20th of 
March,” says Wilson, “or earlier, if the season be 
open, they begin to enter Pennsylvania in numerous, 
though small parties. These migrating flocks are 
usually observed from daybreak to eight or nine in 
the morning, passing to the north, chattering to each 
other as they fly along; and, inspite of all our antip- 
athy, their well-known notes and appearance, after 
the long and dreary solitude of winter, inspire cheer- 
ful and pleasing ideas of returning spring, warmth, 
and verdure. Selecting their old haunts, every 
meadow is soon enlivened by their presence. They 
continue in small parties to frequent the low bor- 
ders of creeks, swamps, and ponds, till about the 
middle of April, when they separate in pairs to 
breed; and about the last week in April or the first 
in May, begin to construct their nests. The place 
chosen for thisis generally within the precincts of a 
marsh or swamp, meadow, or other like watery sit- 
uation. ‘The spot usually a thicket of alder bushes, 
at the height of six or seven feet from the ground ; 
