BIRD STUDY 



93 



swallows burrow into the bluffs, barn-swallows nest in 

 barns, and eaves-swallows under the eaves of buildings. 

 Is there any attempt made by the birds to conceal the nest ? 

 Is the nest in a safe place? Some nests, hke ground- 

 sparrows' nests, are hard to locate because they are so 

 cunningly concealed in the grass. The oriole's nest is on a 

 high branch almost at the tip. Does any particular species 

 select a certain kind of tree? How about the oriole? 

 What materials are used in the construction of the nest? 

 Robins and barn-swallows use mud with twigs and grass. 

 The red -winged 

 blackbird weaves a 

 pretty nest of the 

 leaves of sedges and 

 grasses in the 

 swamps. The hair- 

 bird is so-called from 

 the fact that it uses 

 horse-hair chiefly in 

 the making of its 

 nest. Note the dif- 

 ference in skill shown 

 by different species 

 of birds in choosing 

 a location, and in 

 the construction of 

 the nest. Some birds 

 make hardly any nest at all, while others, like the oriole and 

 the barn-swallow, make beautiful and elaborate nests. Ob- 

 serve how the birds carry the building material, and how they 

 work it. into the nest. Do both mates work ? 



Fig. 12. Wing of Chicken. 



(Wing coverts removed to sliow attachment of quills to forearm 

 and hand.) 



