The Arizona sentinel., 1897-07-03
INGENIOUS BIRDS NESTS.
One Of the Most Cari0us Structures Is the Mud Hens Floating
 H01e,

Is the Mud Hens Floating
 Home.
 Up in one of the river valleys
 not many miles distant from Sar
 Diego, Cal, are many water black.
 birds, which weave unique nests among the jules, says writer in the Christina Tjmes. 4 specimen of unusual design which I discover, ed net long since was bound about wish mesdca t0 the upcighe lula s.oms, laced ovet under, in and out, ia the most intucats manner uutil the little basket-shaped re- cEstable was of the desired size The whole was then roofed with a second basket-shaped structure, likewise of tule 6hors, stretched : 5across. The entire workmanship was most perfect, and that small canopy top proved very effective in shutting eff the suns rays, h this river valley I recently made acquaintance with the mud hen of the grebe family. I had met her before, but never had opportunity to study her, and knowledge Of her habits is exceedingly interesting. Here, under the trees on a little laguna's bank, I have watched for hours as she has been swimming, diving, splashing, darting, autter- ing and spattering foam from her lifted wings, and huddling her young up on the bank to eat grass Tn the sun. She has no beauty, but those tiny canary-colored mud chickens, tipped with soft down, are rather pretty,
 The mud hens nest is weedy. reedy, fbrous structure, composed mostly of dead, gray ends of jules and miscellaneous matter, and is usually placed far out from shore. without anchorage, where it drifts to and fro, cradliDg it's eggs easily.  It presents to he eye simply the eembiauce of a mass Ii wasting vegetation. One who knows bi-d, well, and who Aas made study from these same trees on the lagu- na's bank, tells me that he has many times waded ont to search for a nest and espied it only when sweeping away with his hand what he supposed to be accumulat- ed rubbish of leaves, but that proved the cradles counterpane, with which the careful mot her had shielde d her treasure. Here eggs or young. deposited on the bottom, were usually half submerged, the water oozing through every intes- stice as through sieve, and no sign of 8 parent bird near. Re- treating to Q distance it was often necessary to watch closely, and through glass, when presently the mother grebe might be dis covered sailing up swiftly, uncover ing the floating cradle and shyly settling down to hreat its contents. When they were evider tly sufi- ciently warmed she covered them again carefully with more debris and sailed away as swiftly among the water weeds.
 The orioles is one Of the daint- fest nests fopnd in California trees, One has been recently built by an asthetjc couple in a magnificent fan palm in private grounds, where great care is taken not to frighten the birds away. This pensile, airy thing is of inc pale, straw-colored flores of the palm, and is q grea beauty. Another parent pair have chosen rolled banana leaf for resting place. This has been stitch ed tightly across from side to side Something in balJ-cover fashion) with palm threads. The sewing implements must have been dex- trousIy handled, the result is so trig and complete. No more cun- hing sight can be imagined than the heads of the baby birds peerIng out from the lance-shaped roll of this living nest on the green bana- na tree.