THE RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET. 271 
examination shows it to be rather an assemblage of all sorts of soft substances, 
vegetable downs, cottons from the pussy willows and cottonwood trees, 
weathered aments, hair, fine grass (in abundance), with occasional strange 
inclusions, such as spider-egg cases, dried flower-stalks, and the like. The 
lining is exclusively of feathers, those from the breast of the Robin being 
Taken near Newport. Photo by Dawson and Bowles. 
RUBY’S BASKETFUL. 
most in evidence. A few of these curled up from under the neatly turned 
brim, so as to partly conceal the contents; but only a little effort was required 
to obtain a perfect view of the eggs from above. 
I counted the glowing pile, slowly, calmly, as a miser counts his gold 
when the bolts are shot—twice to make sure—one, two, three, * * * mine, 
the last one being thrown in on top of the heap for good measure. 
The eggs were marvelously fresh, insomuch that in blowing them Mr. 
Bowles coaxed seven of the nine yolks out unbroken thru the mere needle- 
