210 The Robin 



parently noticing the birds. In the beginning they 

 were quite easily disturbed by our presence, and also 

 by the appearance of the board so near their nest; 

 the fear soon passed away, however, and it was sur- 

 prising to notice how quickly it was dispelled after 

 we began feeding them. In two days the robins 

 would take food from the board while we were at 

 the window, only six feet away. 



Meanwhile the building of the nest was progressing, 

 and as it was only ten feet from the widow, the process 

 of construction could easily be watched. Both birds 

 took part in the building, although the female seemed 

 to do the most of the work, particularly the shaping 

 of the nest, which was done largely by means of her 

 body. The nest was finished on April twenty-fifth, 

 and it was a typical robin's nest; the bulky part 

 being composed of roots and grasses, while the inner 

 wall of mud was lined with very fine grass and a few 

 long horse hairs. 



On April twenty-sixth the first egg was laid. On 

 the second day following, another, and so on, until the 

 nest contained four eggs. The eggs were deposited 

 in the morning between the hours of eight and twelve, 

 and were of a beautiful greenish blue color, charac- 

 teristic of the family to which the robin belongs. The 

 female was on the nest but little until April thirtieth, 



