The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-03-13
How Birds Build Their Nests.
From the New York Tribune.


''Fests and Nestings" was the subject
of Mrs. olive Thorne Miller's second Bird
Talk at the Waldorf yesterday. 1t was
illustrated, as was the lecture last week,
with mounted specimens of different va
rieties of birds, and in addition to these
Mrs. Miller had several nests, exhibiting
the birds ingenuity in the matter of ar
chitecture
THE month of June" began the speak
er, lis made peculiarly beautiful to the low
err of birds by the thought that all about
us, in field and wood, by roadside and sea-
shore, under our caves, in our chimneys,
on our apple trees, are dainty little homes,
nurseries, where Is being enacted the old,
yet ever new, mystery of motherhood. The
nest itself is most complete structure,
and the wonder is that the bird, whose
only tools are her beak and claws, should
be able to create so comfortable home.
By actual count a naturalist took 1900
tiny feathers from the lining of a single
nest, while in the construction of another
4o2 twigS were found to have been en-
ployed. In building, according to my OBJ
serVation, the bird works from the inside,
sitting among the material and twisting
and weaving it into shape. The mother
bird assumes the responsibility for the
nest, the father following her about and
helping her when she will permit 1t. The
site for the home is always chosen with
great care, and all birds know that safety
lies in concealment The ground, although
1t does not seem a very secure place, is
often selected. The bObolink, for exam
pie, builds her nest in a little depression
ina meadow, and as bird, eggs and house
are all of the same notified brown, and
well hidden by the grass, she is not often
molested. Some birds eXcaVate cup
shaped hole and line it. The nighthawk
and the whippoorwill deposit their eggs
on the bare ground, where they are only
protected by their inconspicuous color
ing.
Birds have been classified according to
their different methods of building, as
weavers, basket-makers, felters, masons,
miners, and carpenters" The orioles, red
winged backbirds and chimney-swifts
fafaTn. fa has
pies of the baSket-InakerS; the humming-
birds, who work their materials into a
firm, solid mass, as felters; the swallows
as masons; the kingfishers and bank-swal-
lows as miners, and the woodpeckers as
carpenters. In connection with each spe-
cieS Mrs. Miller told of many interesting
traits showing her intimate acquaint-
ance with bird life.
1.-The same BIRDS do not always build in
the same way" she said. "They are not
machines, they use judgment, and change
their plans, just as human beings do
The latter part of the talk was devoted
to the parents care of the nestlings. The
size of the families to be reared varied
from one to twelve, but whether few or
many, they kept the old birds busy in
finding enough to supply their proverbial
ravenOus appetites. Catbirds, robins and
several other varieties, were entitled to
be ranked as philanthropists, for they
were often known to care tenderly for
the orphaned families of their neighbors.
The many methods of giving food to the
young birds were described in detail, and
the devotion of the mother to her home
and family was touched upon. The Bal
timore oriole is said TO exhibit this in an
especially marked degree.