coarsest material of the nest, and, as in a house, is simply preparatory to receiving the building proper. 
The second is of a better grade of material, and the third usually consists of soft, pliable substances, 
which make a dry and warm bed for the eggs and young. The foundation is absent in a large number 
of nests, because the position in which they are placed does not demand it. Likewise the superstructure 
may be wanting. In a perfect nest, supported from below and at the sides, the position in which it 
is situated determines the quantity of material in the foundation. A nest in a crotch of small angle 
contains more than a similar one in a crotch of large angle, as in each case the material must be piled 
into the crotch until a diameter sufficient to receive the superstructure is attained. The superstructure 
being largely independent of position, is, accordingly, more uniform in size in nests of a given species 
than is the foundation, while the lining, being without relation to position, is the most constant feature, 
so far as size and materials are concerned, of any part of a nest. With some birds the nest is a very 
elaborate affair, much time and skill being expended upon it. With others it is of but little consequence, 
and some neglect it entirely. Birds which excavate a home in decayed wood, or in sandy and clayey 
banks, often obtain for themselves secure and cozy quarters. Some of these excavations are lined with 
soft materials, others are left bare. Very pretty nests are often built in natural cavities, but the most 
beautiful and wonderful structures are those fastened to the swaying branches of the forest trees. The 
chief aim of birds in building is to protect their eggs and young from the various sources of danger, to 
which by nature they are exposed. Birds which lay showy eggs consequently take different means of 
reaching this end from birds whose eggs are in their coloring protective. The eggs most likely to attract 
prying eyes are the white ones, such as those laid by the Woodpeckers, Swallows, Swift, Kingfisher, 
Grouse, Quail, and Owls. These are concealed by the character of the nest, or protection is afforded by 
the size and nature of the birds possessing them. The Killdeer and Spotted Sandpiper, whose eggs 
resemble pebbles at a little distance, place their nests on the open, gravelly shore or field. The Black 
Tern, another bird which constructs little or no nest, and lays in exposed places, rolls its eggs in the 
mud till they resemble balls of clay. The green and greenish-blue eggs are usually in open nests among 
foliage, and consequently quite inconspicuous. The little, white, spotted eggs, while attractive, are commonly 
in deep, open nests, and are kept from view by overhanging foliage. The Turtle Dove is an exception 
to the general rule. This bird lays white eggs in a shallow and generally exposed nest, but as only 
two eggs are laid, and as the mother bird begins to sit on the same day, or the day after the first egg is 
dropped, and as she is usually fed upon the nest by her mate, the eggs after all are but seldom exposed 
to view. One of the most perfect examples of protective coloring occurs with the American Woodcock. 
The bird, nest, and eggs all being of very much the same shades of brown. 
* * 
* 
The Turkey Buzzard, the [Wild Turkey, and the Osprey lay the largest eggs of any of the Birds 
found at present in Ohio, and the Hummingbird lays the smallest. The former average about 1.90 x 2.60, 
the latter about .34 x .50 Between these sizes are found eggs of all dimensions. The number of eggs in 
a set varies greatly with different species, but little with individuals of the same species. The Humming- 
bird, the Turtle Dove, and the Wild Pigeon lay the smallest number, the complement of each being two. 
The largest sets are laid by tlie Quail, Wild Turkey, Grouse, and Ducks. The Quail often incubates as 
many as twenty eggs, and the Ducks as many as ten or twelve. The majority of birds, however, lay from 
four to six eggs only, five being perhaps about the average number to a nest. The period of incubation r r aries 
from nine or ten days to about four weeks. Many small birds are batched in ten days, while the large 
ones, such as Owls, Hawks, Ducks, Turkeys, and others, require from twenty-one to twenty-eight days. 
Some birds hatch two broods of young each year; in such cases the second set of eggs contains one or 
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