94 NATURE STUDY LESSONS FOR PRIMARY GRADES 



The robins have other work to do besides getting 

 food for themselves. This is the month of May — a 

 busy month with robins. What are they doing? 

 (Making nests.) Where do they make their nests? 

 In what part of a tree? (In the crotch, or angle 

 formed by two branches, usually, but sometimes out 

 on the branch.) What trees do they seem to like best ? 

 Why build in trees? (The leaves protect the nest 

 from observation. They shield it from the rain and 

 from the sun and from the wind.) How high in the 

 tree are the nests ? Of what shape is the robin's nest ? 

 Of what built ? [The teacher should have several 

 robins' nests gathered in the fall, after the robins 

 have flown.] The typical robin's nest is made up of 

 three parts : the outside, of weeds, roots, straw, and 

 small sticks, woven together; the middle, of mud, 

 held together by some fine material ; the inside, of 

 grass, with sometimes a few hen feathers and moss. 

 Which bird made the nest? (The mother bird, or both.) 

 What did the male do when the female built alone ? 

 (He watched the nest and sang, and sometimes went 

 to meet the female, when returning with straw, etc.) 

 How much did she bring at a time? (A mouthful. 

 Then her mate watched her closely while she wove 

 the material into the nest.) How could the mother 



