1C LIFE-HISTORIES OF BIRDS 



slightly held together, and is agglutinated to the supporting 

 surface, by a tew pellets of mud. Interiorly, there is a soft 

 and warm lining of fine strips of the inner bark of Linum 

 \ 'irgini.a-HitM* with a few dichotomous branches of ]^au- 

 icuni capillarc situated on the exterior, for the nest appears 

 double. Diameter of the outer fabric, ^ 1-2 inches; and 

 height, 2 inches. The inner nest is 3 1-2 inches in diameter, 

 and i 1-2 inches in height. The cavity is i 1-2 inches wide, 

 and i 1-4 inches in depth. 



Another nest which was procured by a young man on 

 the Wissahickon hills, was, at the time of its discovery, 

 found reposing upon the centre of a huge Mat stone, under- 

 neath an overhanging bank. The authors had just completed 

 the structure. It is by far the most beautiful and symmet- 

 rical nest of the Pewee, that we have ever noticed. Between 

 it and the tvpical nest, a marked contrast exists. It is cer- 

 tainlv the work of superior mechanics, and betrays the nice 

 taste and preeminent skill which were necessary to produce 

 such a structure. Young birds could scarcely have attained 

 to such architectural skill. The only inference which we 

 are allowed to draw is that the nest is the inevitable result 

 of skilled and experienced builders. That birds are capa- 

 ble of improvement in this particular, and that the nests of 

 young birds (both sexes being young), display less skill and 

 taste than those of old birds, exceptional cases being granted, 

 are facts which cannot be gainsayed nor denied. An impor- 

 tant feature about the nest under consideration, is worthy of 

 notice. Unlike the one last described, the double character 

 is wanting. In outline, it is perfectly circular. The periph- 

 eral walls maintain the same diameter from base to summit. 

 The diameter is 4 inches, and the height 2 inches. The di- 

 ameter of the cavity is 2 inches, and the depth in the centre, 

 i 1-2 inches. Externally, the nest is composed of different 

 species of J//V.ST/, among which we have been able to iden- 

 tify with perfect ease the following common species : 

 Drummondia cJaveUata* Funttria hygrometrica^ and 



