UNDER THE MAPLES 



a trace of mud in it, hence it was flexible and yield- 

 ing, and had no grip of the branches. It was evi- 

 dently the second nest of the pair this season, and 

 the second nest in summer of any species of bird 

 is frailer and more of a makeshift than the first 

 nest in spring. Comparatively few of our birds 

 attempt to bring off a second brood unless the first 

 attempt has been defeated, but the robin is sure to 

 bring off two, and may bring off three. But the 

 robin is a hustler, probably the most enterprising 

 of all our birds. I recall a mother robin that, in 

 late June, repaired a nest in a climbing rosebush 

 which her first brood had vacated only a week- 

 before. A brood of wood thrushes which left their 

 nest about the same time was still being fed by 

 their parents about the place. 



The song sparrow, the social sparrow, the phcebe, 

 the bluebird, all build a second nest. The first 

 brood of the bluebird will be looked after by the 

 father in some near-by grove or orchard, while the 

 mother starts a new family in the old nest. If all 

 goes well with them, those two bluebird families 

 will unite and keep together in a loose flock till 

 they migrate in the fall. 



So many of our birds nest about our houses and 

 lawns and gardens and along our highways, that 

 at first sight it seems as if they must be drawn 

 there by a sense of greater security for their eggs 

 and young. The robin has become almost a 



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