The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1900-08-04
Nesting Habits of the Birds.

Miss Grace b. Beach, who has made
study of nest building, says:
We may have a bowling acquaintance
with the birds, we may recognize them
on the wing, but we never truly know
them until we see them in their own
homes, until we watch their nesting
habits. A close sexaminat ton of a nest
will tell us much about its builder.
The robin is a mason in limited
degree, as are also his cousins, the
thrushes. He SENS to have got an idea
of a fireproof structure, for while the
outside of the nest is of grass, leaves,
ETC., and the inside of finer grasses or
rootlets, he builds a mud wall between.
If the robins nest is rather a rough
affair, he shows a decided aesthetic
taste in his choice of a location. An
apple tree in bloom, or, if he cannot get
this, any other beautiful fruit tree will
suit him. Up above the level of the
eye, saddled on a horizontal limb, he
delights to place it.
Phoebe uses mud, but with it quaint
ties Of moss. and is fond of placing her
nest under bridges, piazza roofs and In
well open woodsheds. Ono PhOebes
nest l found built bracket shaped on
the face of cliff under an overhanging
projection. AS there was sheer drop
of several feet to the water, it seemed
to me Phoebe's babies would probably
have to learn to swim before they
learned to fly. Unfortunately, l did
not see the brood leave the nest.
Phoebe's own counsin, the wood pewee,
makes a dainty lichen covered struc-
ture, which puts PhOebe's clumsy affair
completely in the shade.
The chipping sparrow's nest is quite
distinctive with it's invariable lining of
horse hair, whence one of its names, the
hair bird. A compact, dainty little
structure it is, placed trustfully near
the dwelling Of it's brother man, some
times in currant bushes and sometimes
in the vine which shades your porch.
The eggs are pale blue gems, with
dainty circlet of dark spots on the
larger end.
The catbird's nest is like veritable
scrap basket, loosely woven of coarse
twigs, bits of newspaper, scraps of
rags. still this rough exterior is softly
lined and made fit to receive the four
to six pretty, dark green blue eggs to
be laid therein. 1t is often placed in
a lilac or syringa bush, and frequently
has a regular barricade Of catbriar,
which gives thorny welcome to any
intruder.
That the oriole understands his bust
ness thoroughly is shown by the tough
ness of the fibres used to fasten the
nest to the limb. The beautiful gray
material used seems to be the bark of
the milkweed stem, frayed out into the
finest floss, but strong and durable not
withstanding. An oriole will use almost
anything which comes handy, from
lock of hair to pieces of string or gay
ly colored yarn. They have even been
known to ravel out pieces of cloth for
their purposes. High UP in an elm or
maple, Oh. near the tips of the
branches, where the winds will rock
the babies to sleep, builds the oriole.
He is a common nest builder along the
village street. Perhaps one ought to
say she, for the female does the actual
weaving. The orchard oriole builds
similar nest, which is usually not so
deep and pendulous.
Among the daintiest of all nests are
those Of many of the warblers. The
gem AMONG birds nests without
thought of a rival, is that Of 0ur ruby
throated cumming bird rTis a thing
beyond description, too dainty to touch
and must be viewed with almost