108 
NESTS AND EGGS OF 
some instances, in hollows in the sand, with the merest apology of a nest 
visible. Occasionally, in Eastern Pennsylvania, the structure is placed in 
a shallow depression, alongside of an unfrequented path, or in the centre 
thereof. Experience teaches that such situations are mostly the choice of 
young birds, or more proj)erly speaking, of birds of the past season. Such 
sites have certainly some advantage over arboreal ones, for the obvious 
reason that much valuable time and labor are thus saved in the construc- 
tion of nests’. On the other hand, there is this disadvantage — namely, 
that they expose the inmates to the attacks of snakes and nocturnal 
animals of a predatory character, more so than those built upon bushes 
and trees. 
In the building of a home both birds labor jointly. The male, for 
the sake of variety, often fetches the materials to his partner, which she 
adjusts. But generally each bird gathers the j^ieces for itself, and ar- 
ranges them according to its own notions of beauty and symmetry. The 
time spent in the work seldom exceeds two days. Under favorable cir- 
cumstances, and with praiseworthy diligence upon the part of the archi- 
tects, the work could be done inside of a day. Many of the ground- 
structures, which, at the best, are but a few dry grasses loosely piled to- 
gether, are only the labor of a few hours. Judging from the simplicity 
of the fabric, and the lack of design manifested, it ought not to require 
much time; but we must recollect that the birds are not continually 
occupied with the task during the day, and also that they are compara- 
tively slow mechanics. 
The nest is usually placed upon a wide, horizontal limb, with par- 
tially vertical branches on all sides, or between a crotch formed by a 
smaller twig meeting a larger one. The height above the ground varies 
from five to thirty feet, but most nests are placed at elevations ranging 
from eight to fifteen feet. Ordinarily these structures are composed of 
small twigs, chiefly i^ine, gathered from the ground. The pieces are 
scarcely more than one-fourth of an inch in thickness, and about four 
inches in length. In position they repose in layers arranged crosswise. 
