29« 



(bietiy meadows, low lands and plowed tields. On the 

 approticli of night thev collect in large numbers in 

 some favorite roosting place, such as cedar or pine 

 trees, thick woods or dense thickets. 



THE NEST AND EGGS 



NesL-building is usually begun about the middle of 

 April, although on two or three occasions 1 have found 

 uests, with full complements of eggs, as early as the 

 tirst week in April. 



In colonies of from ten to twenty, seldom more, they 

 locate themselves for the pui'pose of niditication and 

 reproduction. In this locality (Chester county) theii- 

 favorite bi-eeding resorts are apple orchai'ds, the fruit 

 and other trees commonly about tlie habitations of 

 man. The nest is bulky and rudely constructed exter- 

 nally of rootlets, small twigs, diy plants, bits of corn- 

 blades, etc., somewhat loosely but quite tirmly bound 

 together-. Mud or mudded materials frequently enter 

 into the construction of the nest, but this is not always 

 the case; the interior is lined usually with tine grasses; 

 occasionally I have seen leaves and feathers constitut- 

 ing the internal lamina. The construction of the nest 

 occupies about one week; both sexes engage in its erec- 

 tion. It is built at the junction of two or more lai'ge- 

 ■ii/.i-d limlis. ur iuiioui; the sprouts and matted twigs. 

 The nests vary somewhat in size, but the one now be- 

 fore me — about the average — gives the following di- 

 mensions: Height l>^ inches; diameter; 7 7-8 inches; 

 depth of cavity, 3 inches. Gentry observes that the 

 female begins to deposit her eggs, one ovum per da^v, 

 the day following the completion of the nesL Such 

 may be the case, but my observation has been thai 

 oviposition does not often take place until three or 



