Blunders in Bird-Nesting. 77 



three nests of song-sparrows on the ground in 

 my lane, which runs in a nearly north-and- 

 south direction. These nests are on the west 

 side, and are tilted so as to get the full benefit 

 of the sun in the forenoon. Each nest is deftly 

 concealed by the dead grass of the past sum- 

 mer being drawn over it, and to two of the 

 three are short roofed runways, better built 

 than many I have seen made by a meadow- 

 lark. So far, the birds have been wise, but in 

 all three cases the nests have been placed dan- 

 gerously near the wagon-track, in one case 

 within fifteen inches of a deep rut, and the 

 others much less than twice that distance away. 

 The result is, the bird is forced, or so it sup- 

 poses, to leave the nest every time a carriage 

 passes, and this is quite frequently during the 

 day. Likewise, the sitting bird hurries away 

 on the approach of every foot-passenger. These 

 annoyances and real sources of danger were 

 doubtless not considered when the sites were 

 chosen, and perhaps were unheeded during 

 nest-construction, but the facts must have 

 dawned upon the builders before the eggs 

 were laid. Why, then, they took the apparent 



