THE TRAGEDIES OE THE NESTS. 25 



A correspondent writes me that one of his orioles 

 got entangled in a cord while building her nest, and 

 that though by the aid of a ladder he reached and 

 liberated her, she died soon afterward. He also 

 found a "chippie" (called also "hair bird") sus- 

 pended from a branch by a horse-hair, beneath & 

 partly-constructed nest. I heard of a cedar-bird) 

 caught and destroyed in the same way, and of two 

 young bluebirds, around whose legs a horse-hair had 

 become so tightly wound that the legs withered up 

 and dropped off. The birds became fledged, and 

 finally left the nest with the others. Such tragedies 

 are probably quite common. 



Before the advent of civilization in this country, the 

 oriole probably built a much deeper nest than it usu- 

 ally does at present. When now it builds in remote 

 trees and along the borders of the woods, its nest, 1 

 have noticed, is long and gourd-shaped ; but in or- 

 chards and near dwellings it is only a deep cup or 

 pouch. It shortens it up in proportion as the danger 

 lessens. Probably a succession of disastrous years, 

 like the one under review, would cause it to lengthen 

 it again beyond the reach of owl's talons or jay-bird's 

 beak. 



The first song-sparrow's nest I observed in the 

 spring of 1881 was in the field under a fragment of & 

 board, the board being raised from the ground a 

 couple of inches by two poles. It had its full com- 

 plement of eggs, and probably sent forth a brood of 

 young birds, though as to this I cannot speak posi- 

 tively, as I neglected to observe it further. It was 

 well sheltered and concealed, and was not easily come 

 at by any of its natural enemies, save snakes and 

 weasels. But concealment often avails little. In 



