Page:Bird-lore Vol 08.djvu/133

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j&ote* from jTtelti anh |3>tuDp A Robin-Oriole Nest B. Hough, cut off the branch and made the accompanying photograph. The location I enclose a photograph of a nest which I was quite unusual for an Oriole's nest, as it have been told is quite unique. I have was on a small limb about a foot from the spoken of it to a number of ornithologists in trunk of the tree. — E. C. Hough, Washing- this city, and none of them ever heard of an ton, D. C. occurrence before of such a combination. As may be seen, a Robin built its nest in an old nest of the Baltimore Oriole. When I was visiting at Lowville, Lewis county, N. Y., two years ago, I saw that an Oriole had built a nest in a small sugar- maple in front of the house. The next summer I saw a Robin fly up to the nest, and an examination showed that its nest was built upon the Oriole's nest. My brother, Romeyn A ROBIN'S HOME IN AN ORIOLE'S NEST Photographed by R. B. Hough A Robin Episode Ever since I was twelve years old, I have carried in my memory a bird episode which still seems to me one of the best of its kind that I have ever known. It occurred in our own garden, and I have often meant to hand it over to Bird-Lore. Here it is. One day, I took from a Robin's nest one of its two eggs, while the male bird fluttered about in the usual distress. His wife, as it later proved to be, was not there ; but an hour later I found her choking to death with a cherry, though still too vigorous to let me catch her and relieve her. Her mate followed me in great fury, as I chased her about, and two hours later I found her dead. All this happened just be- fore I left home for a week's absence. On my return, my first visit to the garden carried me under the big apple trees, in the first of which was the Robin's nest, and in the next, two others, — one of Kingbirds, the otherof a pair of Chippies. I chanced to be looking down upon the grass as I came along, when, to my amaze- ment, I was violently struck on the head by the male Robin, and then by one of the owners of each of the other nests! And for a week or two, if my memory serves, certainly for a good many days, it was my most exciting experience to go out there, feigning absorbed contemplation of the grass, (103)