BIRD STUDY 



93 



swallows burrow into the bluffs, barn-swallows nest in 

 barns, and eaves-swallows under the eaves of buildings. 

 Is there any attempt made by the birds to conceal the nest ? 

 Is the nest in a safe place? Some nests, like ground- 

 sparrows' " nests, are hard to locate because they are so 

 cunningly concealed in the grass. The oriole's nest is on a 

 high branch almost at the tip. Does any particular species 

 select a certain kind of tree? How about the oriole? 

 What materials are used in the construction of the nest? 

 Robins and barn-swallows use mud with twigs and grass. 

 The red-winged 

 blackbird weaves a 

 pretty nest of the 

 leaves of sedges and 

 grasses in the 

 swamps. The hair- 

 bird is so-called from 

 the fact that it uses 

 horse-hair chiefly in 

 the making of its 

 nest. Note the dif- 

 ference in skill shown 

 by different species 

 of birds in choosing 

 a location, and in 

 the construction of 

 the nest. Some birds 

 make hardly any nest at all, while others, like the oriole and 

 the barn-swallow, make beautiful and elaborate nests. Ob- 

 serve how the birds carry the building material, and how they 

 work it into the nest. Do both mates work? 



FIG. 12. Wing of Chicken. 



(Wing coverts removed to show attachment of quills to forearm 

 and hand.) 



