Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-23

terity. Any soft fabric found is used and
the fondness shown by the birds for bright
colors was made use of by an acqualnt-
ance, who exposed successfully red, white
and blue worsteds until certain nest was
completed, the grotesqueness OF which can
be imagined. The orioles are closely re-
lated to the weaver birds of Africa that
breed in immense colonies. and build one
immense nest, divided off into compart-
nentS for each pair.
Another beautiful example of weaving Is
that in the ball nest of the marsh wren. 1t
is made of rushes and lined with the down
from cat tails, and has small circular orr
fee for.entrance on one side. They are at
tacned to the stronger and more vigorous
reeds, and a search now before the WINDS
get iii their work will be sure to be sue
cessful
We now come to an entirely different class
of architeCts-tEose that eXcavate their
homes in the dead branches-tne woodpeck-
erS- These nests are really study. ana
there is no better place to find them than
along PREY brar CHI and just above Pierce's
Mill on both sides of Rock creek. Anywhere,
in fact. where dead timber is to be found.
Woodpeckers have mathematical eye, Tor
the entrance to the nest is generally as cir
cular as if described by pair of compasses,
and looks very much as shown in the figure.
Internally it widens out to form the cavity
and a section would look very much as repre-
scented. Many of the species are quite
methodical in their workmanship and the
entrances are as smooth as If bored with an
beautiful nest of the little downey wood
pecker is on exhibition in the Smithsonian,
and others just like it are not uncommon
Feathercd Cliff Dwellers.
If. now, the searcher after knowledge Will
go to Four-mile run and to the sandbanks
there he can form the acquaintance OF the
feathered cliff -dwellers-for the banks are
honeycombed with the burrows OF bank
swallows, with here and there one OF the
kingfsher, the only difference being in the
size and length of the excavation. A little
work with a spade now will show some IN
tereSting features. In the case OF the swat
low a straight tunnel extends for perhaps
two feet, ending in small pocket lined with
a few Straw5 and feathers, but in that OF the
king of fishers it is some five to eight feet
in length with a decided crook toward the
termination, which is roomy and abundantly
streWn with fish bones.
Who is there among the lovers of birds
that has not listened with delight to the
fute-lke notes Of the wood thrush the
delicious carols of a spring robin? Both be-
long to the same family, and are the only
thrushes breeding with us. Their nests are
alike and yet very unlike; they form quite
distinct class from any We have spoken
of, and 1 know of no better locality in
which to find them than the woods near
Four-mile Run. Both of these birds are
probably better known than any others. yet
how many can tell one nest from the other?
uses mud with which he plasters the grass
Is and straws into a firm mass, while the
wood thrush. daintier by far. weaves
leaves, pine rootlets and grasses into deli
cate f1imsy structure barely able to sustain
the weight of the bird. A characteristic
feature of it is that from the bottom usu-
ally bangles a bunch of string. shreds of
cloth, paper or clumps of fine grass, often
a foot or more. Perhaps some wiseacre can
fathom this eccentricity and tell US its
use?
Having touched upon the homes of vari-
Gus birds as usually found. this sketch
would hardly be complete without passing
reference to curiosites occasionally found,
and which any person is apt to run across
at times Prominent among these is hui
man skull. picked up on an old battlefield
and containing a nest of the house wren
This curio Is on exhibition in the Smithso-
MAN collection, and is the most unique thing
known in this line. A pair of robins so far
departed from their usual habits as to build
a nest on the trestle of a railroad. and so
close beneath the rail as to be forced to fly
off at the passage of trains. In spite of fire.
quent disturbances, full brood was raised
An energetic house wren was only pleased
to deposit her eggs after filling the larger
portion of a small bore cannon with nesting
material while still another was persistent
in her attempts to construct nest over an
electric light lamp.