An Interesting Phœbe's Nest
NEST OF PHŒBE
Photographed from nature
The accompanying illustration shows an interesting Phœbe's nest. It is well-known that this bird prefers to build close to some overhead protection, but I have never seen, and have heard of only one other similar structure, showing such evidence of forethought by the builder; for this bird has constructed a pedestal by means of which her nest was raised to the desired height.
The location chosen was three feet or so back under the piazza roof of a lonely, unused summer cottage by the shore of Webster lake, in Franklin, N. H.
The foundations were begun on a door-cap to the left of, although almost in touch with, an upright cleat. Soon the builder made a turn to the right, that the pedestal might rest firmly against this cleat. From this point the work continued perpendicularly full twelve inches, with the breadth of about three inches and a thickness of one and one-half inches. Upon this the enlargement was made for the nest proper, which was destined to safely cradle her brood of four.—Ellen E. Webster, Franklin Falls, N. H.
[Two years ago John Burroughs showed us a nest similar to the one here described, built beneath the eaves, on a slight projection in the rough hewn rock of the railway station at West Park, N. Y.—Ed.]
A Useful Nest-Holder