30 
LAND OF SUNSHINE. 
door after stray house flies but for the wire screens — she cares for 
nothing at the pine store. She wants mud. We have not seen more 
than one nest under the same eaves, though we have set our cigar 
box traps year by year. Phoebe drives away the swallows if they 
chance along, and even her own people are repulsed. She has built 
her house low under the north eaves for years. We leave the hydrant 
adrip on purpose for phoebe. But it is not mud alone that allures 
her. The ground is full of little rootlets that travel long distances 
for a drink and emerge at the surface greedy for the precious moist¬ 
ure. Phoebe mixes the rootlets with the mud and so makes a re¬ 
spectable mortar that lasts. She began lining the nest with bits 
from the jute door-mat. We raveled the ends on purpose, of course. 
Nothing that birds can have possible use for is thrown into the fire 
at our house. We thought this jute stuff a trifle harsh, so we threw 
down some fur from a grizzly bear skin. Phoebe liked the looks of 
*. 
Nest of Black-headed Grosbeak, in Fork of Fig Tree. 
