THE KINGBIRD. 



311 



ance as to 

 quite dis- 

 courage in- 

 V e s t i g a - 

 tion, unless 

 the owner's 

 presence 

 gives the se- 

 cret of its oc- 

 c u p a n c y 

 away. It is 

 placed usu- 

 ally in an up- 

 right or hor- 

 izontal fork 

 of a tree at a 

 heig'ht of 

 from three 

 to forty feet. 

 Twigs, 

 weed - stalks 

 and trash of 

 any kind en- 

 ter into the 

 basal con- 

 st r u c tion. 

 The charac- 

 teristic fea- 

 ture of the 

 nest, how- 

 ever, is the 

 mould, or 

 mat, of vege- 

 table plaster, 

 ground 

 wood, and 



the like, or else compacted wool and cow-hair, which is forced into the inter- 

 stices of the outer structure and left smooth and rounded inside, giving shape 

 to the nest. This in turn is lined with fine grasses, horse-hair, or variously. 

 Occasionally nests are found composed almost entirely of wool. In others 

 string is the principal ingredient. 



Eggs are laid at the rate of one each day. Incubation begins when the 



Taken on the Licking Rcscrz'oiv. Photo by the Author 



NEST AND EGGS OF THE KINGBIRD. 



THE NEST IS PLACED ABOUT TWO EEET UP IN A W'lLEOW CROWING IN SEVERAL. 

 FEET OF WATER. 



