Vol. XX"j Harvey, Diary of a CardtnaVs Nesf. ^C 



and accompanying her on each trip. They worked in the morning 

 only. The site was a difficult one for building and a great 

 quantity of stuff was wasted before the foundation was finally 

 established. It was interesting to observe that when a stem fell 

 to the floor instead of lodging in the crotch where it was put, the 

 bird never picked it up, but flew off in feverish haste for another. 

 At one stage of the proceeding there was much more nest on the 

 floor than in the vine. When finished, it was unusually strong 

 and elaborate for a Cardinal's nest, which is apt to be alarmingly 

 frail and slight. They used in it a great amount of paper. The 

 Cardinals' nests which I have examined always contain one or 

 two pieces of paper, but this one had an entire layer of eight or 

 ten pieces. The supports and outer layer were of fine twigs and 

 weed stems, the next layer paper, the next of the thin bark which 

 they peel from grape vines and honeysuckles, and which is charac- 

 teristic of all Cardinal's nests. The lining was dried grass. 



The nest was completed on the first of May and the first egg 

 was laid the next day. Four eggs were laid. The female did 

 all the work of incubation, while the male fed her frequently. 

 Occasionally the female would give a loud whistling call, which 

 the male immediately obeyed, sometimes bringing her food, some- 

 times taking a stand near by while she went out for herself. 



The conservatory in which the nest was built communicates 

 with the dining room by means of two glass doors and with the 

 kitchen by an open window. The nest was on a level with the 

 eyes of a person standing in the dining room and was about five 

 feet from one door and about eight feet from the kitchen window. 

 The position was very exposed, as the Marechal Neil is a spindling 

 vine, and provides not such covert of leaves as the bird usually 

 selects. The female bird, who in the winter is much less bold 

 than the male, was now exceedingly courageous, remaining on 

 her nest while we watered the very plant in which it was fixed. 

 Noises in the kitchen did not trouble her in the least. As soon as 

 the birds began to build we scattered their seed on a shelf near 

 by instead of in the usual place outside. They did not resort to 

 it much until after the young were hatched. After the little ones 

 were flown the old birds seemed to rely upon this supply altogether, 

 coming to it many times a day. 



