small sticks ol the cottonwood, the nest well stuck together by a 
generous supply of mud or adobe clay, and further strengthened by its 
situation in some suitable fork of the tree. In this open country of ours, 
where we have great winds that sweep the trees clear of any other nests, 
we find that those of the Crow survive them all ; and as this species rarely 
uses an old nest twice over, they provide a great many structures for the 
Long-eared Owl, Sparrow Hawk, Cooper’s Hawk, and sometimes the 
Great-horned Owl. (The Long-eared Owl prefers a Crow's nest to that 
of a Magpie’s. They do not mind the exposure and sunlight, and they do 
appreciate the depth which allows them to conceal their stature while in¬ 
cubating.) The principal material used for lining is cattle hair, which in 
some nests plainly indicates that it was pulled from the hide of some dead 
'steer' lying conveniently near on the plains. 1 have also found nests lined 
from the scrapings of horse hair from a curry comb ; these were probably 
picked up at favorable moments from around the barn of some isolated 
ranch. It is well matted against the sides, with a generous supply in the 
bottom." I would also add the Broad-winged Hawk to the list of birds 
using old nests of the Crow. 
Mr. John A. Bryant writes the following : “Last June I found a nest 
built in a tall cottonwood standing alone. It was placed on a horizontal 
limb, midway from tip to trunk, built entirely of green leaves and 
twigs. The leaves still had a greenish cast, although shriveled, twist¬ 
ed, and brittle. No doubt it was built from the branches blown off by a 
recent storm. This was about the middle of June. The builders had 
doubtless been driven from some other locality.” I would add that the 
green leaves were most probably used for greater protection against some 
foe, possibly man. In this instance the birds showed an instinct almost akin 
to reasoning, or it is at least a remarkable incident. In North Carolina the 
nesting material differs somewhat from that already given, as might be 
expected. Cypress bark, moss, sticks, layer of earth, roots, pea and 
potato vines ; lined with grape vine bark, moss, or hair. The California 
bird differs in the lining of her nest, more often using the covering of 
soap root, strips of redwood bark, moss, wild cotton, or cow hair, than 
anything else. 
It is found that the Crow does not vary in the material used, in any one 
locality, to any great extent ; yet there is considerable difference in the 
construction or the “workmanship,” as it has been called. It would 
seem that the older birds, having the most experience, would construct 
the better nest. However this may be, some individuals construct more 
subtantial nests than others. When a pair of Crows have been disturbed 
in their nidification, and are forced to rebuild several times, the result 
