NESTLINGS OF FOREST AND MARSH 
every thrifty housewife wages war upon the 
swift, and I have known squirrels to pen- 
etrate even here. Cool evenings in June 
demand fires, and a fire below means death 
to the helpless fledglings in the nest above. 
To a layman it would seem that these artifi- 
cial conditions offer greater danger than any 
forest foes could. 
I believe no one has been able to watch 
the little gray builders at their work further 
than to see them carrying twigs of all shapes 
and sizes down into the chimney, but exam- 
ination of a nest reveals the fact that the 
lower twigs are glued firmly in place with 
saliva one by one, and the others laid criss- 
cross upon them until the nest is shaped up 
and out like a bracket. It is a wonderful 
structure. Every piece seems to be cut at 
both ends to fill the position which it occu- 
pies, and varnished nicely as it is fastened 
into place. Just enough glue to make it 
secure is used, and none is ever spilled on 
the bricks. And so firm is it that pieces of 
brick may sometimes be broken off with it. 
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