The Bessemer indicator., 1893-09-09
INGENIOUS s,sp@ n..4s.
6ofre Curious strnotures-Ths Mod
here Floating Home.

10 in one of the river valleys not
many miles d.tant are maDy water
blackbirds. which 7esye nniqu6
hCsta among the tules, says :. Sary
Diego le,tc" to the Christian Union.
4 spAcimen of uu4Szal design which
! discoysref not long since was bound
about with mesiics 10 the upright
tuie -'ar1s. laced over unGe,, in and
out, in the .-n=t intricate marrer.
until the little bashe -staPcd re-
c-ptacle was OF the desired size fhe
whole was then rooted with sccoua
Sasket-shbpad structure, likewise Of
tulc hbers, stretched across. Tho
entire -"remanship was most per
feet, and that small canopy ton
proved very effective 10 shutting Of
Tic suns rays.
In this river ,aIley I recently made
acquaintance with the mud hon OF
the grcbe family had mot her be-
fore, Hut never had opportunity 20
study her, and '-rowledgr Of her hGb-
its is exceedingly iuteres'ire Here
under the trees on q little lag gna's
bank, ] bavo watched for hours rs
She tas yocn swimming, diving.
splashing, dartiug. 6Htteriur and
patteripg 'oarn from hor lifted wings,
and budding hsr vuHug Mp ON tho
bnnk to eat grass in tho SUI She
has no beauty, but those tiny caGurys
coloroG rr"d chickens. tipped with
soft down. arc soib"r pretty
The mud hens most rs % wecdy.
fI,rItts e+unyrrr. .at.s-,,.,,. 81
mostly Of dead gray ends Of tuIes and
miscellaneous Wattor. and is usually
placed fer out from shore, without
anchorage where 1t drifts 30 and fro,
cradling Its eggs easily II presents
to the eye simply the semuiauca Of o.
mass OF wasting vegetation. Ono Who
knows birds we'll and who has made
them study from these same trees
on th. laguua's baaE, tells me that
he has mary times wadcd ont TO
search for nest, ard cspied II only
when sweeping away with his hand
what he supposed to be- accumulated
rubbish of leaves. but that proved
the cradles counterpanc with which
the careful mother had shielded her
treasure.
Here eggs, or yojur deposited on
the bottom were usually Half sub
merged tho eater oUlinE through
every intcrstice IL through sieve,
and no sign Of parent bird fear
Retrcatiur 20 distance. it was often
necessary 10 watch closely, and
through 4 glass, when presently tho
mother grcbc might hc discovered
sailing up swiftly Uncovcriug tho
floating cradle and shyl5 settling
down 10 breast Its contents When
they were evidently sufficiently
warmed she covered them carefully
with more debris bnd sailed away as
swiftly am ug the water reeds
The orioles is one Of the daiuticst
nests found in California trecs Ono
has recently beca built by ar ;ssthct-
ic couple in magnificent fan palm
in private grounds. whore great care
is taken not to irighteu tho birds
away. This ponsilo. airy thing is Of
the pale. straw-coloroi fbrcs of the
palm. and is & great bnuuty, Another
parent pair have chosen a rolled ban
ana leaf for resting place This has
been stitched tightly across from side
to side (sCmething in ball-covcr fash-
ion) with palm threads The sewing
implements must have been deN-
terously handled, the rcsuIt is so trig
and complete, No moro cunning
sight can be imagined than the heads
of the baby birds peeriug out from
the lance-shapcd roll of this living
nest on the green banana tree
An heir break should invariably 20 with ey-
cry fortune which Is left 10 a rapid or frlyol-