118 FAMILIAR FEATURES OF THE ROADSIDE. 



The field sparrow's nest is usually on the ground; 

 it is built of coarse grasses, rootlets, and bits of weed 

 stalks. The eggs (from three to four) are white 

 marked with red-brown specks. 



A really tame bird, and one which is a trifle 

 troublesome about a cottage in the woods, is the 

 Phcebe, sometimes called pewit or pewee {Sayornis 

 Phoebe). This little creature sometimes prefers to 

 build her nest under the eaves of my piazza or wood- 

 shed, and there is much ado to protect the young 

 from the enemy, a pet Manx cat. But one fine morn- 

 ing Mr. Manx succeeded in passing an extemporized 

 barricade and devoured the whole family — not a small 

 matter, as Mrs. Phoebe usually raises five little ones. 



The Phoabe generally builds her nest under the 

 span of some bridge, using mud, sticks, hairs, bits 

 of rag, or, in fact, anything convenient, no matter 

 what its nature ; in the nest we will probably find five 

 white eggs sparingly dotted on the larger ends with 

 rusty-red. I have drawn with the phoebe that pic- 

 turesq[ue bridge crossing the Clinton Piver, PontLac, 

 Mich. 



I can not say that the bird is a pretty one, but it 

 is at least softly colored. The head, which is some- 

 what crested, is l)lack; the back is rusty -black, and 

 the breast is sooty-white — almost gray. The two 

 colors meet on a line at the eye, giving the bird a 



