Nests in Trees 



out. The wise oriole simply deepens its nest, with the 

 result that the eggs are placed once more in safety. One 

 of the golden oriole's discarded nests at the end of the 

 season affords a sure indication of the state of the weather 

 during the previous weeks. 



We have lauded the work of the chaffinch as a model 

 of delicate craftsmanship. At the other extreme we may 

 safely place the work of the branch-building pigeons, the 

 ring-dove and the turtle-dove, for their efforts hardly 

 deserve the name of nest. The ring-dove usually selects 

 a fir-tree for her nest. On a suitable spray of leaves she 

 places a few long twigs in irregular fashion, followed by a 

 few shorter twigs laid anyhow, the whole forming a mere 

 flimsy, flat platform. The eggs deposited on this plat- 

 form may easily be seen from the ground below. One 

 might wonder how in the world the young ones are 

 prevented from falling to earth, and it happens in this 

 manner. With most birds the chief care, or one of them, 

 is to keep their nests clean. With the ring-dove the case is 

 different, and the droppings of the young quickly form a 

 cement which binds the twigs together into a solid mass 

 through which there is no fear of anything falling. 



The magpie builds a domed nest, though one quite 

 distinct from the natty little abode of the long-tailed tit ; 

 it is as large as the tit's is small, as rough as the other is 

 dainty. Despite its unkempt appearance, it serves its 

 purpose admirably, and is by no means easy to detect, 

 being always placed in the upper branches of some high 

 tree, where it bears a striking resemblance to the natural 

 outgrowth of the tree. A strong foundation is the first 

 care of the magpie architect. This is always composed of 

 sticks cemented together with mud ; not only so, but a 

 thick layer of mud is placed atop of this. Above this 

 substantial groundwork a number of sticks, usually those 

 with formidable thorns, are arranged to form a dome. 

 The nest is completed by a lining of root fibres on the 

 floor to receive the eggs. Exactly why the magpie 



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