112 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 10-No. 7 



nest of this species whicii was built upon a railroad em- 

 bankment. Tlie ground had an inclination of forty-five 

 degrees. To one not conversant with the facts, such a i)o- 

 sition for a structure of the Iviud these birds are known to 

 make, would appear impossible. Difficult as the task must 

 seem to be, when viewed from a human standpoint of 

 judging of the builders' capabilities, it was nevertheless ac- 

 complished, and in this wise: A semi-circular wall of mud, 

 some three inches in height, was, after much labor, erected, 

 and within the cavity thus formed was placed a coarse, 

 substantial and bulky fabric. 



Few birds are less regardful of position than the Wren. 

 In June, ISSU, near the town of Thornbury, Pa., a pair of 

 Wrens selected the space in a stationary block over a slieave 

 in a derrick, as a site for a home, and therein deposited 

 their favorite sticks and feathers. A similar structure had 

 occupied the same spot the previous year, and a brood of 

 young ones raised. These nests, in the elements of conijio- 

 sition, differed not from the typical form. It is their strange 

 and anomalous situation, rather than anything else, that 

 excites our interest and astonishment. The materials of 

 the nest were so dexterously arranged as not to interfere 

 with the revolution of the wheel. 1 he entrance to the nest 

 was on the side facing the rope that moved the pulley. The 

 opposite side could have been used for this purpose, and 

 doubtless with less danger to life or limb, but a preference 

 seems to have been shown for the other. Why tliis was so 

 remained an unsolved problem for some time ; but when 

 each bird was seen to alight upon the rope at the top of the 

 derrick and ride down to the nest, the reason became appa- 

 rent. Never did Linnet enjoy the rocking twig with half 

 the zest that these eccentric creatures did their ride adown 

 the rope. A hundred times a day, when the necessity 

 arose, they treated themselves to the same pleasure, the 

 rope moving at the rate of thirty-flve feet in a second of 

 time. Six days out of seven, from morning until night, 

 they had the benefit of this mode of conveyance, and noth- 

 ing occurred to disturb their peace and harmony. In due 

 time a family of happy, rollicking children was raised, and 

 the nest in the derrick deserted. 



Before nic is a curious nest of the Swamp Blackbird. 

 This is a rather bulky affair for the species, and was found 

 built in the top of a cluster of cat-tails. It is firmly made 

 of broad grasses, and securely fastened to the stems of the 

 reeds, some eight in number, by the same kind of material 

 that enters into its composition. 



Icterus spurius, of the sub-family of Orioles, constructs 

 a truly characteristic nest, pouch-shaped m form, and either 

 pensile or built uiion a branch. Soft and fle.\ible grasses, 

 neatly and compactly woven together, constitute its outer 

 fabric, while within there may exist wool, either vegetal or 

 animal, or a lining of line grasses niLwd with horse-hairs. 

 The handsomest nest I have ever seen was found by Kichard 

 Christ, in the vicinity of Nazareth, Pa., in the season of ISSii. 

 It is of the usual size, being five inches in height, and three 

 in external diameter, but different from the typical form in 

 the materials of composition. Instead of the leaves of 

 grasses, which one naturally expects to see in such struc- 

 tures, this was exclusively built of the stems and heads of 

 a species of gramineous plant remarkable for its golden 

 brightness in a state of dryness. 



A more remarkable nest of this Oriole was found built 

 upon a few small branches of a Maple, at an elevation of 

 nearly thirty feet from the ground. It is a double affair, 

 composed of long, flexible grasses, and securely fastened 

 to its support. The larger nest is inversely sub-conical, 

 while the smaller, which is joined to the other by ribbons 

 of grass, is somewhat similarly shaped, but less compact in 

 structure. A circular opening, one inch in diameter, is a 



noticeable feature of the latter. That this additional struc- 

 ture served some purpose cannot be questioned. 1 am in- 

 clined to think that it was constiucted with the view of ac- 

 commodating either parent while the other was silting. The 

 aperture alluded to served, doubtless, for the head of the 

 non-sitting bird, who, from this position, looking away 

 from the main building, could, like a sentry upon an out- 

 post, detect with comparative ease and readiness the ap- 

 proach of enemies. 



But nothing can exceed in beauty and cosiness the nest 

 of a female Baltimore Oriole in my possession. It was 

 built under peculiar circumstances, the author being a pris- 

 oner, having been taken from the parental home when 

 (juite a fiedgeling. A male companion was captured at or 

 about the same time. These birds are tlie projierty of Dr. 

 Detwiler, of Easton, Pa., and are a source of jtleasure to 

 this elderly gentleman in his leisure moments. Though be- 

 coming quite tame under the careful and kindly manage- 

 ment of their keeper, the female manifesting greater famil- 

 iarity than her associate, it never occurred to the Doctor 

 that either would become so accustomed to the situation as 

 to evince a desire to build. When alone, he always allowed 

 them the freedom of his studio, in or out of season. One 

 lovely June morning in 18S3, the ousidc world being full of 

 joy and life and sunshine, he threw open the door of their 

 cage, and settled himself for reading. Hardly had he read 

 a dozen lines when he felt something pulling at his hair; on 

 looking up he descried the offender flying towards a dis- 

 tant part of the room with something in her bill that resem- 

 bled a hair. When the Doctor had resumed his reading, 

 slie stole cautiously forward, seized another hair, and was 

 off in a twinkling. Permitting these liberties for a while, 

 and noticing that bits of strings were, when placed in posi- 

 tions to be seen, as much the objects of interest as the 

 hairs of his head, he was not slow in divining the motive 

 wliich led to this strange and unexpected proceeding. Con- 

 vinced by actions as significant as words tliemselves could 

 be, he at once entered into the idea of liis little feathered 

 friend, and began to look about for a room where she might 

 cairy out her plan for the future, free from human interfer- 

 ence. In a short time a place was found in the attic, which 

 he fitted up, furnishing it with a large branch for a perch, 

 and with the necessary materials, in the shape of new 

 white strings, for nest building. The female now entered 

 into her voluntarily imposed task with the most determined 

 zeal and alacrity, and at the end of a week had constructed 

 a domicile which lier wild, untamed prototypes of the fields 

 and the roadsides would strive in vain to excel. 



In Eastern Pennsylvania, rare, curious nests of the Aca- 

 dian Flycatcher are often found. Such a one was discov- 

 ered by the writer in June, 1882. It was placed upon the 

 forked branch of a small red Oak. The dried blossoms of 

 the Hickory, the sole materials of tlie ordinary structure 

 in tills latitude, were wanting. — The Museum. 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



CuLLECTou's GuNg. K F., will find soinc obf-crvatioiib 

 on this subject in our April and June numbers. 



To Kill \Vouni>ed Birds. (C, Mihvavkee^ Wif.) 

 '■Squeeze the bird tightly across the chest, under the wings, 

 thumb on one side, middle finger on the other, fore finger 

 pressed in the hollow at the root of the neck, between the 

 forks of the merrythought. Press firmly, hard enough to 

 fix the chest immovably and compress the lungs, but not to 

 break in the ribs. The bird will make vigorous but incf- 

 fectnal efforts to breathe, when the muscles will contract 

 sj)asmodicalIy and you can tell by its limp feel and motion- 

 Icssucss that it is dead." 



