Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-08-20
Birds and Their Nests.

You all know, perhaps. that birds
have been popularity classified according
to their manner of nest building. Thus
We have the carpenters. wi itii dig holes
IN wood: the plasterers. which use a good
deal of mud in building; the cementers.
Ike the swifts. which glue twigs together
by means of sticky saliva. secreted es-
pecially during the nesting season: the
xesvers, the felters. and the basket max
ers.
The woodpecker uses no, material at all
except the chips that he digs ont of the
tree. Somebody has suggested that If he
finishes his little house in hard wood he
thinks he may do without upholstery
However. mis- little ones do not need a
mattress to sleep on, for a few DAYS Aft
or they Matched. they Begin to cling to
he surface of the cavity. and there they
remain until, they are ready to venture
forth into the world. This is a striking
illustration of the relation that the hab-
its of the young and the style of the nest
bear to each other.
deliberately constructed and comfort
able nests. such as most birds now use.
are the result of Il distinctly recognized
evolution from the primitive followed
out place in the ground. or the simple
pla tform in the tree. After the platform
came the cup, which was placed upon it ::
and then came the lining. That the lin
ing is comparatively recent. is shown by
the fact that it is the last thing that Il
bird changes. The platform is now oft
en- dispensed with. but the lining never
Some birds are so anxious about the lin
ing. that they select for it roots of the
same color. or hair of the same fineness
or other special material. In few cases
the nest consists of lining only. Improve
ment in nest-bulding has come about
more for the comfort and the safety of
the young than for the protection of the
eggs. The young of the grouEd-builders
a Ia far
they are Matched. and therefore their
nests are rude and uncomfortable. being
used simply for incubation. Birds that
build no nests. lay their eggs on or under
rocks. upon high cliffs or inaccessible
Islands, and thus assure the safety of the
young.
Indeed. nest-buiding in trees grew no
doubt. out of Il desire of the parent to
protect their young ones. and the fitness
OF things is shown in the fact that the
birds whose young remain longest in the
nest are the most careful builders. 1t
has been said that birds long babyhood
permits 1t to study the parental architec-
ture. to the end that better nests may be
built all the time; but that seems to be
merely fanciful view of the matter.
There seems to be no doubt that some
birds take great delight in the Skill of
their work, and in the making of their
home beautiful Humming birds, gnat-
catchers. and others, ornament the out
side of their nests with lichens. silks.
ETC., and many others show by the ar
rangement of the lining Il mechanical
form of ornament. There is bird in In
dia that studs the outside of it's nest with
fire-fiies, which glow at night. 1t may be
that the flrefiies are used to frighten
away some enemy; or that they make the
nest. conform to the color of its sur
roundings. but 1t looks as if the bird put
them there to crafty it's esthetic taste.
However that NAV he. it cannot be dc.
MED that many birds have an eye for the
beautiful In nest-building. and that they
ornament their homes solely for the sake
of the ornament-Philadelph Times