The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-04-07
INGENIOUS BIRDS. NESTS.
Ono OF the Most Curious Structures Is tho
MudtHen's Floating Homo.

MudsIcn's Floating Home.
Up in one of tho river valleys not
many miles distant from San Diego,
Cal, are many water blaclsbirds,
which weave unique nests among the
tules, says II writer in the Christian
Times. specimen of unusual design
which discovered not long since was
bound about with mcshcs to the up
right tule stems, laced over, under, in
ana out, IN the most intricate manner.
until the little basket-shaped rccept;l-
Gle was of tho desired size. The whole
was then rooted with Il second basket
shaped structure, liicwisc Of tuc fibcrs,
stretched across. The entire work
manship was most perfect, and that
small canopy top proved very effective
i'll shutting off the suns rays In this
river valley recently made actluaint-
ance with the mud hen of Tie grcbc
family. had met her before, but
never had opportunity to study her.
and knowledge of her habits is exceed
ingiy interesting. Here, under the
trees on Il little laguna's bank, have
watched for hours as she has been
swimming, diving, splashing, darling,
ilutterin1 and scattering foam from
her lifted wings, and budding
her young up on the bank to eat grass
in the sun. She has no beauty, but
those tiny canary-colorcd mud chick
ems, tipped with soft down, are rather
pretty.
The mud hens nest lisa wccdy rcedy,
fibrous structure, composed mostly of
t dead, gray ends of tulcs and miscclla-
ncous matter, and is usually placed far
out from shore, without anchorage,
where it drifts to and fro, grading its
eggs easily. 1t presents to the eve
simply the scmblancc of mass of
wasting vegetation. One who knows
birds well. and who has made a study
from these same trees on the laguna's
bank, tells me that he has many times
wadcd out to search for & nest and cs-
pied it only when sweeping away with
his hand what he supposed to be uc-
cumulatcd rubbish of leaves, but that
proved the cradles countcrpane with
which the careful mother had shielded
her treasure. Here eggs, or young,
deposited on the bottom, were usually
half submerged, the water oozinG
through every intcrsticc as through Il
sieve, and no sign of parent bird
near. Rctreating to distance, it was
pl'Sii iiSCcSSstiN 70 WATCH CLOSELY, ana
through Il glass, when presently the
mother grebc might be discovered sail
ing up swiftly, uncovcring the floating
cradle and shyly settling down to
breast its contents. When they were
evidently sufficiently warmed she COW
cred them again carefully with more
debris and sailed away as swiftly
among the water weeds.
The orioles is one Of the daintiest
nests found in California trees One
has been recently built by an aesthetic
couple in Il magnificent fan palm in pri-
vatc grounds, where great care is
taken not TO frighten the birds away.
This pensilc, airy thing is of the pale,
straw-colored fibers of the palm, and is
great beauty. Another parent pair
have chosen rolled banana leaf for n
resting place. This has been stitched
tightly across from side to side (soma-
thing in ball-covcr fashion) with palm
threads. The sewing implements must
have been dcXtrously handled, the re-
suit is so trig and complete. No more
cunning sight can be imagined than
the heads of the baby birds pccring out
from the lancc-shaped roll of this living
nest on the green banana tree.