Wild Birds. 



to work in the field or laboratory for weeks or months to attain a well-defined end, and 

 that end he will attain, provided it can be compassed by intelligence, industry, and skill. 

 Patience is the naturalist's stock in trade, and while no success may come because of 

 it alone, none can be assured without it. 



In the ten days or two 

 weeks or more of life at 

 the nest events move rap- 

 idly and the question of 

 time is important. Any 

 interruptions are therefore 

 opportunities for the dis- 

 play of patience rather 

 than for the increase of 

 knowledge. 



We have already seen 

 that the displacement ol 

 the nest or nesting branch 

 does not introduce unnat- 

 ural conditions of any im- 

 portance into the life of 

 the birds. Of course every 

 change wrought by man is 

 in a certain sense unnatu- 

 ral. If we pluck a single 

 leaf from a tree, that tree 

 is no longer in its natural 

 state, but the change 

 counts for nothing. If we 

 keep on plucking leaves, 

 however, a time will come 

 when the arm of the bal- 

 ance is disturbed, and the 

 denuded tree is sure to 

 suffer. The removal of a 

 leaf or twig about a nest 



is of no practical consequence, but this should not be carried too far, both on account of 

 the young which need the protection of shade, and for the sake of natural appearances 

 which we wish to preserve. 



It might be supposed that when a branch is lopped off, its foliage would at once 

 wither, and unduly expose the nest or detract from the artistic value of a picture. The 

 fact is, however, that there is commonly enough sap in a hard wood bough of moderate 

 size to keep the leaves fresh for several days, 1 and towards the close of life at the nest the 



' When the nesting branch is vertical and not too large, it can be easily kept fresh by placing it in a jug or can 

 <>f \vater which should be set in the ground. 



Fig. n. Female Chestnut-sided Warbler shielding the young on a warm day. 

 Photographed from tent shown in Figs. 2 and 3. 



