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ing- a hollow in which to construct its nest. 

 The nest may be found in a limb, a hollow in 

 a telegraph pole, a g-ate post, or in a decayed 

 rail of an old worm fence. The cavity selec- 

 ted is often very extensive, and this striving- 

 pair usually fill up the space after the manner 

 of the nuthatch and that pernicious, pertina- 

 cious hustler, the European sparrow- Into 

 the interior is carried a great variety of 

 material, including twig-s, grass, leaves, and, 

 strang-ely enoug-h, the cast-off skin of a snake 

 is found in the nest, g-enerally. Occasionally, 

 the skin is absent, but more often there are 

 two or more pieces, and I have seen five pieces 

 quite probable from the same snake, but torn 

 in removal. When the sloug-h from the snake's 

 head is found, it is easy to identify the species 

 by the impressions of the head plates, and in 

 this way I have proven that, of the more than 

 a score of species of serpents in Michig-an, 

 three kinds, to my knowledg-e, furnish skins 

 for these nests. They are the water snake, 

 g-arter snake and blue racer. Undoubtedly 

 the marks of all our serpents are used by 

 these birds, but these mentioned are common 

 and more often made av^ailable. If the com- 

 plete skin sloug-h, or even the head portion is 



