BIRDS 



296 



her nest. The entrance to the nest is then sealed up ■ndth 

 mud by the male ^^•ith the exception of a small hole through 

 which the female presents her bill to be fed bj' her faithful 

 consort. Finally, those wonderful little tailor birds of India 

 select two or three leaves near each other and actuallv 



FiG. 200. — Nest of a blackbird. 



stitch the edges together, thus forming a neat receptacle 

 in which to build their nest. 



But we do not need to travel to foreign countries to find 

 interesting birds and nests. The habits and nest building 

 of our o\'\'n birds are always a source of A\'(iiiderful interest 

 and pleasure to those who study tliem. Figui'e 200 shows 

 the nest of a blackbird. 



Migrations of birds. — A great majority of the birds that 

 spend the summer in the colder portions of the earth go 



