BIRDS'-NESTS 



ing ground warbler, and remembered that the 

 nest of this bird had not yet been seen by any 

 naturalist, that not even Dr. Brewer had ever 

 seen the eggs, I felt that here was something 

 worth looking for. So I carefully began the search, 

 exploring inch by inch the ground, the base and 

 roots of the tree, and the various shrubby growths 

 about it, till, finding nothing and fearing I might 

 really put my foot in it, I bethought me to with- 

 draw to a distance and after some delay return 

 again, and, thus forewarned, note the exact point 

 from which the bird flew. This I did, and, re- 

 turning, had little difficulty in discovering the nest. 

 It was placed but a few feet from the maple-tree, 

 in a bunch of ferns, and about six inches from the 

 ground. It was quite a massive nest, composed 

 entirely of the stalks and leaves of dry grass, with 

 an inner lining of fine, dark brown roots. The eggs, 

 three in number, were of light flesh-color, uni- 

 formly specked with fine brown specks. The cavity 

 of the nest was so deep that the back of the sitting 

 bird sank below the edge. 



In the top of a tall tree, a short distance farther 

 on, I saw the nest of the red -tailed hawk, a large 

 mass of twigs and dry sticks. The young had 

 flown, but still lingered in the vicinity, and, as I 

 approached, the mother bird flew about over me, 

 squealing in a very angry, savage manner. Tufts 

 of the hair and other indigestible material of the 

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