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POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



arouses their sense of fear and suspicion, and they may keep away for 

 a time or advance with caution. If very shy, like most catbirds, they 

 will sometimes skirmish about the tent for two hours or more before 

 touching the nest. The ice is usually broken, however, in from twenty 

 minutes to an hour, and I have known a chipping sparrow and red- 

 eyed vireo to feed their young in three minutes after the tent was in 

 place. 



At every approach the birds see the same objects which work them 



Fig. 5. Female Kohin cleaning the Nest. 



no ill. The tent stands silent and motionless, but the young are close 

 by, and fear of the new objects gradually wears away. Parental instinct, 

 or in this case maternal love, for the instinct to cherish the young is 

 usually stronger in the mother, wins the day. The mother bird comes 

 to the nest and feeds her clamoring brood. The spell is broken; she 

 comes again. The male also approaches, and their visits are thereafter 

 repeated. 



Possibly the fears of the old bird? are renewed at sight of the 



