BIRDS'-NESTS . Ill 



intervals till the young were ready to fly. The 

 song of this bird is a rapid, intricate warble, like 

 that of the indigo-bird, though stronger and louder. 

 Indeed, these two birds so much resemble each 

 other in color, form, manner, voice, and general 

 habits that, were it not for the diff'erence in size, 

 — the grosbeak being nearly as large again as the 

 indigo-bird, — it would be a hard matter to tell 

 them apart. The females of both species are clad 

 in the same reddish-brown suits. So are the young 

 the first season. 



Of course in the deep, primitive woods, also, are 

 nests; but how rarely we find them! The simple 

 art of the bird consists in choosing common, neu- 

 tral-tinted material, as moss, dry leaves, twigs, and 

 various odds and ends, and placing the structure on 

 a convenient branch, where it blends in color with 

 its surroundings; but how consummate is this art, 

 and how skillfully is the nest concealed ! We occa- 

 sionally light upon it, but who, unaided by the 

 movements of the bird, could find it out? During 

 the present season I went to the woods nearly every 

 day for a fortnight without making any discoveries 

 of this kind, till one day, paying them a farewell 

 visit, I chanced to come upon several nests. A 

 black and white creeping warbler suddenly became 

 much alarmed as I approached a crumbling old 

 stump in a dense part of the forest. He alighted 

 upon it, chirped sharply, ran up and down its 

 sides, and finally left it with much reluctance. 

 The nest, which contained three young birds nearly 



