188 AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 



ed fields and meadows. On one occassion I discovered a set of their 

 eggs in a field which was being prepared for corn. There was no nest, 

 simply a hollow in the bare earth — and the four pear-shaped eggs were 

 all standing on end, point upwards, which is a characteristic of this 

 species. The Red-wing Blackbird also comes under this heading; they 

 were always plentiful in a meadow near my home, and I delighted to 

 watch them perch on the tall weed stalks, cat tails or tussocks and 

 admired their bright crimson shoulder marks. The first nest of a Red- 

 wing which I found was a perfect and wonderful piece of workmanship, 

 illustrating the skill with which these birds are able to weave, bind and 

 twist the grass stems around their supports. In this instance the sup- 

 ports were four very tajl dock stalks growing close together. Between 

 these, about two feet from the ground, and firmly fastened to each 

 stalk, was a compact and pretty nest, made principally of dried stems 

 and marsh grass. In the nest were four speckled eggs. I marked the 

 situation and after the birds were done with their home for the season, 

 I secured the nest and took it home for an object lesson. 



The Wood Thrush was also one of the birds with which I was on 

 familiar terms. To see and hear them once, is to remember and love 

 them always. Returning to us early in the spring, they were quite 

 abundant throughout the season, confining themselves mainly to wood- 

 lands and groves. There are few lovelier things in nature than the ves- 

 per hymn of the Wood Thrush. Time would fail us to speak of them 

 in terms befitting their beauty and grace and the rich wildness of their 

 notes. Their songs are the finest in early morning or the twilight, 

 when they are clear and sweet, full and harmonious as an anthem. 



In the twilight of evening, when the day is done, 

 And the landscape is tinted by the sinking sun; 



When shadows are gathering, and forests grow dim, 

 The Wood Thrush pours forth her vesper hymn. 



Humming birds were also a source of delight and wonder, and we 

 were frequently favored with visits from them owing to the large vari- 

 ety of flowers in the yard. While I never was fortunate enough to dis- 

 cover one of their nests, I was presented with two of them, one of 

 which came from Pasadena, California. This was a most beautiful cup 

 saddled on a small limb, the lower end of the nest tapering off some- 

 thing like a "horn of plenty." The material used was like the down 

 of a ripe cat tail, and was put together in a compact and symmetrical 

 manner. One tiny egg came in this nest and was originally found with 

 it. The other nest was entirely different in construction, being flat in 

 shape, composed externally of lichens and moss, and lined with down. 



