HOW THE BIRDS KNOW 319 



he occupied one of them. Nothing more remark- 

 able than this ever has occurred among the birds 

 to my knowledge. My oriole was the originator of 

 the comfort of ^ window for the easement of labour 

 for her sex, but this vireo in building two nests 

 and halving the labour itself was ahead of her. 

 These signs of the times surely indicate progress 

 in birdland. If our feathered sisters are demand- 

 ing improved homes and equal sharing of the labour 

 of rearing families, this may be a hint to women 

 who need convenient homes and help in family 

 cares. Let the men "improve" or beware! 



If I have less to say than might be expected on 

 the subject of what the birds know, consider a 

 moment and you will realize that there is very 

 little anyone can advisedly relate on any phase 

 of bird life outside of nesting time. It must be 

 remembered that for four or five months the birds, 

 which we call ours, are hundreds of miles away; so 

 no one can say certainly where they are or what 

 they are doing. Again, while they are with us, 

 except for the short space of time when they are 

 bound to their nests by the brooding fever, they 

 are shy, wild citizens of all outdoors. No other 

 living creatures have the freedom of the birds, ac- 

 corded them by their power of swift flight. They 

 spend their lives snatching bits of food here and 

 there, swaying on every inviting twig, playing tag 

 with a friend, in hot pursuit of an enemy, trailing 

 broken notes from every available choirloft, with 



