A HERMIT'S WILD FRIENDS 



eral amount of plant down on the outside. 

 This last nest was nearly wanting in plant 

 down, although a good supply was in the door- 

 yard. 



Several years ago the bird saddled into the 

 fork of a bayberry bush a bunch of cotton 

 nearly as large as a baseball, and on this 

 foundation erected a nest. 



I have records of four nests, including the 

 last the one in the currant bush. This 

 1897 nest was three and one half inches in 

 diameter by two inches in depth inside, and 

 three and one half inches outside. The foun- 

 dation was laid May 27th, and the nest was 

 completed June 3d. It was then deserted 

 for three days. The first egg was deposited 

 June 6th, and thereafter one each day until 

 the 9th, when four eggs made up the set. The 

 fourth egg was pure white; the other three 

 were white with a ring of reddish-brown 

 blotches around the larger end. 



After the fourth egg was laid the bird re- 

 mained on the nest nights, but during the 

 daytime for three days spent the most of the 

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