BIRDS'-NESTS 



South that had some kind of coarse reed or sedge 

 woven into it, giving it an open-work appearance, 

 like a basket. 



Very few species use the same material uniformly. 

 I have seen the nest of the robin quite destitute of 

 mud. In one instance it was composed mainly of 

 long black horse-hairs, arranged in a circular man- 

 ner, with a lining of fine yellow grass ; the whole 

 presenting quite a novel appearance. In another 

 case the nest was chiefly constructed of a species of 

 rock moss. 



The nest for the second brood during the same 

 season is often a mere makeshift. The haste of 

 the female to deposit her eggs as the season advances 

 seems very great, and the structure is apt to be 

 prematurely finished. I was recently reminded of 

 this fact by happening, about the last of July, to 

 meet with several nests of the wood or bush spar- 

 row in a remote blackberry field. The nests with 

 eggs were far less elaborate and compact than the 

 earlier nests, from which the young had flown. 



Day after day, as I go to a certain piece of woods, 

 I observe a male indigo-bird sitting on precisely 

 the same part of a high branch, and singing in his 

 most vivacious style. As I approach he ceases to 

 sing, and, flirting his tail right and left with marked 

 emphasis, chirps sharply. In a low bush near by, 

 I come upon the object of his solicitude, a thick, 

 compact nest composed largely of dry leaves and 

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