Page:Bird-lore Vol 08.djvu/90

 J&oteg from JFieifi anD iStuDp Our Robin's Nest The nest shown in the accompanying il- lustration was found by a member of the Pine Hills Junior Audubon Club of Albany, N. Y. It was built in a crotch of a young elm tree about fifteen feet from the street. In essential character it is not unlike an ordi- nary Robin's nest; but apparently this par- ticular pair of Robins had an eye for beauty, for hanging from one side of the nest, about three inches apart, are two fringed white satin badges, fastened by mud and sticks. They bear the seal of New York and the words, "New York N. E. A. at Boston, 1903." The satin is as white and letters as fresh and new as if they had not adorned a Robin's nest for a whole summer. We have found that these badges were worn at a na- tional educational convention held at Boston. A little to the left of one of these badges, near the rim of the nest, is a knot of coarse white lace, not merely woven over and un- der the grass, but artistically coiled about the outside and securely fastened with mud and tiny sticks. Through this lace, woven in and out through its coarse mesh as neatly as any human being could do it, are two white chicken feathers. The rest of this remarkable nest is deco- rated with long pieces of string ; white string, brown string and yellow string, a piece of light blue embroidery silk, the hem of a fine handkerchief and a bit of white satin ribbon. Even the arrangement of the string shows artistic work, for it is woven and knotted- looped and coiled into an intricate pattern. Turned upside down, the nest gives one the impression of a bonnet with satin strings AN UNUSUAL ROBIN'S NEST (66)