BIRDS OF KANSAS 51 



her nest. The whole width of the opening had first been 

 filled with a mass of tough but slender twigs (many of 

 them at least six inches in length), and upon this founda- 

 tion the nest proper had been constructed. It was mainly 

 composed of the fine inner bark of various trees, with an 

 admixture of a little Usnea moss and a number of spider's 

 cocoons. The whole mass was firmly but rather loosely 

 put together, the different particles retaining their 

 proper position more from the adhesion of their rough sur- 

 faces than by reason of any special arrangement or inter- 

 weaving. The general shape of the structure necessarily 

 conformed nearly with that of the space within which it 

 was placed, but a remarkable feature was presented by the 

 disposition of the lateral extremities. These were carried 

 upward to a height of several inches above the middle of 

 the nest, ending in long, narrow points or horns, which gave 

 to the whole somewhat the shape of a well-filled crescent. 

 In the center of the lowest part of the sag thus formed was 

 the depression for the reception of the eggs — an exceed- 

 ingly neat, cup-shaped hollow, bordered by strips of soft, 

 flesh-colored bark and lined with feathers from Ducks and 

 other wild birds. The Avhole Avas fastened to the concave 

 inner surface of the bark scale rather than to the tree 

 itself, so that Avhen the former was detached it readily 

 came off with it. I afterwards found two old nests, which 

 were perhaps originally built by this same pair of birds, 

 as they were placed on a tree that stood close at hand. 

 They were under a single, enormous piece of bark, but at 

 its opposite lateral extremities. One of them, a nearly 

 shapeless mass of rubbish, was scarcely recognizable, but 

 the other still retained its original shape and finish, and 



