BIRD PARADISE 91 



I conclude from what I see at the present time 

 that there are at least a dozen or fifteen robins' 

 nests in process of construction here in our vil- 

 lage. There is no lack of material and certainly 

 the business is being prosecuted with commenda- 

 ble zeal. Mud and dry grass are the materials 

 used, and surely when one considers the charac- 

 ter of the things put into the building it is quite 

 apparent that robin makes a large success of the 

 work. The heavy winds that we have had this 

 season have interfered somewhat seriously with 

 the birds' building projects. I found on my lawn 

 last week a nest nearly completed. It had been 

 blown from the swinging limb, the owner losing 

 both time and work in the accident. Someway 

 the fellows tide over an experience of this char- 

 acter without any serious loss. In a week's time 

 doubtless the wreck of the accident will all be 

 cleared away and a new house put into place. I 

 have seen the English sparrow play a very shrewd 

 trick upon the robin when he is busy with his 

 nest building. The other day the mother bird 

 had just filled her bill with a tuft of dried grass 

 when a sparrow flew and snatched it away, leav- 

 ing robin an astonished and apparently disgusted 

 bird. I have seen the sparrows snatch food in 



