. The birds of Washington : a complete, scientific and popular account of the 372 species of birds found in the state . a i nest mustbe ornamentedw i t h lichens,spider-egg cases, bitsof tissue jja-per.—in short, whatever takes the fancy of the birds in the course of theirrestless forays. The interior furnishings, likewise, must be continually aug-mented. If the Ixittom of the nest was only an inch thick at the outset, it isbuilt up from within until it attains a thickness of two or three inches. Eventho the eggs Ix? near to hatching, the thrifty housewife, as she returns
. The birds of Washington : a complete, scientific and popular account of the 372 species of birds found in the state . a i nest mustbe ornamentedw i t h lichens,spider-egg cases, bitsof tissue jja-per.—in short, whatever takes the fancy of the birds in the course of theirrestless forays. The interior furnishings, likewise, must be continually aug-mented. If the Ixittom of the nest was only an inch thick at the outset, it isbuilt up from within until it attains a thickness of two or three inches. Eventho the eggs Ix? near to hatching, the thrifty housewife, as she returns froman airing, must needs lug in a beakfnl of feathers, which it would have In-ena shame to waste, you know. Iesides this, the male bird has two or under construction in the neighlKirhood. upon which he can ])rolit-ablv put in those tedious hours between three a. m. and sunset. The mother Tit lays six or eight pearly white eggs, and these the StellerTay counts (piite the daintiest item on his bill of fare. Hence, of all thenush-Tils* nests one sees in a season. f\illy half have lieen slit open and. //,„/,. bj. petals. R^lilman .md THE SLENDER-BILLED NUTHATCH. 287 labbed by ihe bluc-cualcil ihug. (Jne such tragedy, with its huniaii interest,is reported for us in- .Miss Adelaide L. Pollocl<. tlie welJdNnowu birddoxerof Seattle, as follows: We found the long purse-shaped nest swinging from the lower branchesof a giant red tir July 8th, and every da\- thereafter for two weeks somemember of our class in ornithology visited the castle in the air. It was wovenwith a silken foiuidation gleaned in the cobwebs of the forest, lined with thepappus of the w illnw and the thistle, and chinked with moss, lichen, and fadedhazel blossoms. Willi an eye to man-fashion, the architects had papered thehome, but onl_\ in spots on the outside. What a delight it was to watch theparent birds light on the doorste]5 with a worm and plunge inside. By thewriggling and swaying
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookidbirdsofw, booksubjectbirds
