GOLD BIRDS 



One Oriole 

 nest of my experi- 

 ence differed from 

 all others I ever 

 have seen in two 

 particulars, each 

 of which indi- 

 cated that its 

 builders were pro- 

 gressive and had 

 ideas. The nest 

 was in a cotton- 

 wood, pendent as 



usual, but not swinging free, for half-way down on one side it was 

 firmly lashed to a stiff twig, the material so bound around and 

 over it that the nest could not sway with the wind or bend under 

 the weight of a Screech Owl attacking it, thus giving the brooding 

 mother a far better chance to escape. 



This nest also proved, as the front and reverse of it clearly 



show, that it was 

 a unique struc- 

 ture, most re- 

 markable. The 

 back was similar 

 to all other nests, 

 with its wide 

 mouth for en- 

 trance and feed- 

 ing. The front 

 had not only the 

 fastening de- 

 scribed, but two 

 55 



