BIRDS OF KANSAS 43 



vicinity we reside, whether in a recent clearing or in 

 the heart of a village, if we set up a bird house in May, it 

 will certainly be occupied by a Bluebird, unless previously 

 taken by a Wren or a Martin. But there is commonly so 

 great a demand for such accommodations, that it is not 

 unusual to see two or three different species contending 

 for one box." 



Their nests are loosely but rather smoothly constructed 

 of fine straws, grasses and occasionally leaves, hair and 

 f'ojithers. Eggs, usually four or five, .83x.63 ; light green- 

 ish blue ; in form, oval. Pure white sets have occasionally 

 boon takon. 



II. AMERICAN" ROBIN. 

 Merula migratoria (LiNN.). 



Resident; abundant in the eastern part of the State 

 in summer, and along the streams in winter, where the 

 hackbcrries are plenty; rare at other times; not common 

 in the .western portion of the State. Begin laying the 

 last of April. 



HABITAT. Northern and eastern North America (re- 

 placed in the western United States, east to the edge of 

 the Great Plains, by M . migratoria propinqua) ; south 

 into eastern Mexico; breeding from near the southern 

 borders of the United States northward to the Arctic 

 coast. 



In a few specimens the females were fully as large as 

 the males. 



Iris brown; bill bright yellow, tipped with dusky (the 

 bill of the female somewhat paler; in young birds the 

 upper mandible, with the exception of the edges, dark 

 brown) ; legs brown ; feet dark brown ; claws blackisfi. 



