112 BIRDS-NESTS. 



Deak (for there is a sheep-pasture near), joins her 

 and the two reconnoitre the premises from the sur- 

 rounding bushes. With their beaks still loaded, they 

 move around with a frightened look, and refuse tc 

 approach the nest till I have moved off and lain dow:; 

 behind a log. Then one of them ventures to alight 

 upon the nest, but, still suspecting all is not right, 

 quickly darts away again. Then they both together 

 come, and after much peeping and spying about, and 

 apparently much anxious consultation, cautiously pro- 

 ceed to work. In less than half an hour it would 

 seem that wool enough has been brought to supply 

 the whole family, real and prospective, with socks, if 

 needles and fingers could be found fine enough to 

 knit it up. In less than a week the female has begun 

 to deposit her eggs, — four of them in as many days, 

 — white tinged with purple, with black spots on the 

 larger end. After two weeks of incubation, the young 

 are out. 



Excepting the American goldfinch, this bird builds 

 later in the spring than any other — its nest, in our 

 northern climate, seldom being undertaken till July. 

 As with the goldfinch, the reason is, probably, that 

 Buitable food for the young cannot be had at an earlier 

 period. 



Like most of our common species, as the robin, 

 sparrow, bluebird, pewee, wren, etc., this bird some- 

 times seeks wild, remote localities in which to rear its 

 young ; at othci's, takes up its abode near that of mau 

 I knew a paii of cedar-birds, one season, to build in 



