374 Bird - Lore 



left the nest. Before night two more had gone, and the nest was left with two 

 eggs in it. The eggs were bluish white with cinnamon spots more numerous at 

 the larger end where it was a little over one-half inch in diameter. 



In a few days the deserted nest was examined in its original place and later 

 it was collected and examined more closely. It was found on a bank about 

 7^ feet from the water. A sandy beach sloped up from the water about 3^ 

 feet. Then there was an abrupt perpendicular bank which rose the rest of the 

 4 feet. The nest was snugly tucked away on a shelf of earth. The roof of this 

 little home was a mossy spot, held by the roots of an old oak stump, with 

 Canada mayflowers growing here and there. 



The nest was 8 inches back from the edge of the hood, and from outer 

 edge to edge it was 5 inches in diameter. The inside diameter was 3 inches and 

 it was 1% inches deep. 



When the nest was taken out it left a little hollow in the sand. The nest 

 itself was composed of two distinct parts, an upper and a lower. To show how 

 many trips were made just for the building of one nest, we counted every piece. 

 The foundation was composed of 103 leaves, 46 rootlets, 49 pieces of moss, 

 15 twigs, I piece of bark, and 87 pine needles. 



The upper part or lining of the nest was made of finer things, of which 

 9 were horse-hairs, 29 pieces of moss, 122 rootlets, 222 pine needles and 58 

 grass stems, besides many other small pieces. All these things were woven 

 neatly together to make a pretty little round nest. 



All this shows how much birds have to work to make a home, and then 

 often they are frightened away by people handling the eggs or squirrels suck- 

 ing the eggs, or Blue Jays eating the little birds. However, these three baby 

 Water Thrushes flew away without any of those disturbances. — Larch Camp- 

 bell (age, 15 years), The ''Dells'' of the Wisconsin River. 



[This is an interesting study of a bird's nest and one that anyone can duplicate with 

 one of the winter nests. Of course, each piece of material does not mean a separate trip, 

 as many are often brought at one time, but, nevertheless, each piece is usually selected 

 with discrimination on the bird's part. — A. A. A.] 



THE STORY OF A BIRD 



Once I went to the orchard with my aunt to call on a lady. In a corner by 

 the steps was a barberry bush and the lady told me to look in it. I looked in and 

 saw a Catbird's nest with four little Catbirds. The mother was not there so I 

 sat on the steps to wait. Soon she came with her mouth full of food for the 

 young birds. When they were fed she went away and the father bird came with 

 food, too, but when he saw me he flew away and so I went up on the porch 

 and the mother came back and fed the young constantly while we talked on the 

 porch. — Marjorie E. Hoffman (age, 7 years). 



[A bird's nest near the home is a great asset and Marjorie has the right idea about 

 watching it. — A. A. A.] 



