THE AUNT JANE STORIES. 



IV. BIRDS* NESTS, 



"The prettiest thing in all the world 

 is the building of the nest," sang Edith, 

 as she joined the children already gath- 

 ered about Aunt Jane. "Suppose you 

 tell us something about nest building?" 



'The study of bird architecture has 

 this advantage, that, while it is one of 

 the most delightful of summer occupa- 

 tions, it may also be carried on in the 

 winter. The fall of the leaves reveals 

 many a hitherto hidden nest. Toward 

 spring, some of the little dwellings 

 assume a dilapidated appearance through 

 stress of weather^ but others are so well 

 built that they are sometimes used by 

 birds for a second season. This is nota- 

 bly the case with the pensile nest of the 

 vireo which the weather does not injure. 

 It is made of various vegetable fibers 

 glued together with the saliva of the 

 builder. The upper edges of the nest 

 are bound around small twigs, from 

 which the nest depends. Trees, bushes, 

 briar patches, all contain specimens in 

 winter of the deserted cottages of sum- 

 mer visitors. But none of these excite 

 special interest, because the name of the 

 occupant can be told at a glance." 



"Do you think birds reason when they 

 build?" John inquired. 



'Tf not, by what strange chance has 

 the yellow-throat learned to place her 

 nest in the skunk cabbage in order to 

 protect it from the cowbird, which is so 

 influenced by the odor that she will not 

 go near it to deposit an egg therein? 

 Think what the heroic little mother must 

 endure inhaling such an atmosphere 

 during the long period of incubation ! 

 Who suggested to the yellow-bird that 

 she should build a two or even a three- 

 storied nest in order to rid herself of the 

 parasitic eggs of the cowbird, which 

 lazily builds her own nest too shallow to 

 hold all her own eggs. Has the jackdaw 

 some incipient ideas of theology that he 

 builds in a church steeple? What leads 

 the African grosbeak to form companies 

 and build hundreds of nests together, 

 thus undertaking a sort of cooperative 

 housekeeping? But aside from all 

 unusual specimens of bird architecture, 



there remains all about us the most 

 quaintly devised houses in our own beau- 

 tiful land of birddom." 



"I never saw a prettier nest than the 

 oriole builds," said Madge. 



"There is this curious fact that there 

 can be no doubt that older orioles sur- 

 pass the younger ones in constructive 

 power. Though the nests are all pensile, 

 no two are exactly alike, but differ in 

 style and finish. Sometimes a young- 

 oriole will abandon a badly constructed 

 nest and build again. The strongest 

 material is used for fastening the nest 

 to the twig. Matchless workmanship is 

 often displayed in the woven fabric, 

 which is so well designed for con- 

 venience, warmth and security. You all 

 remember the nest we took from the tree 

 by sawing off the limb the morning of 

 the storm, because a hole had been 

 frayed in one side and the young orioles 

 were falling through. I meant to have 

 called your attention to something I 

 noticed as I primed up the hole, when 

 we tied the nest bough back to the tree." 



"What was it," asked Madge. "I saw 

 nothing but the disturbed parents flying 

 out and one dead oriole on the ground, 

 and the rest safe in the mended nest." 



"You remember this spring was 

 unusually cold about nest-building time, 

 SO' this one, wise, little oriole had lined 

 her thin pouch of a nest half way up 

 with sheep's wool ! Among all my 

 oriole nests there is not a single one 

 lined." 



"You are a discoverer ! Auntie, we 

 will get that nest down for you to add 

 to your collection. Don't you think the 

 wren builds a big house for such a mite 

 of a body?" 



"Yes, the nest of the diminutive wren 

 is large, but you will notice it is made to 

 harmonize with its surroundings. It is 

 a puzzle why the wren often constructs 

 less perfect nests near the one occupied. 

 Now there is a bird problem for you to 

 observe and solve. Two wrens once 

 built a nest in a rag-bag on my back 

 porch. The female was killed by a cat. 

 Her husband was disconsolate at first, 



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