THE WILDERNESS IN JUNE 243 



Many dapper little Chipping Sparrows are 

 about the clearing, very busy just now with 

 their domestic affairs. They must be put to 

 some trouble to find horsehair enough to line 

 their numerous nests, for there are but two 

 horses here and most of their time is spent on 

 the tote-road to and from the settlement. Per- 

 haps they seek the same source of supply as did 

 the Junco whose ground-built nest was dis- 

 covered by accident. 



One day while searching for a Warbler whose 

 song puzzled me, a Junco came from the near-by 

 thicket, bearing in her bill a strange-looking bur- 

 den, a wisp of something which projected on 

 either side like the feelers of a cat, having much 

 the appearance of snow-white silk floss. Wholly 

 devoid of fear, she lighted in a small fir within 

 arm's length, then from limb to limb descending 

 to the ground, disappeared in the thick ferns. 

 In a few moments she flew away and a brief 

 search revealed a well-built, cup-like nest lined 

 with crinkly white hair from a deer's tail! The 

 effect of this dainty lining against the dark 

 material of the nest was very odd, you may be 

 sure. Was not this an excellent illustration of 

 the versatility of these little friends of ours in 

 adapting the objects at hand to their needs .f* 



Each daily visit to the nest revealed an addi- 

 tional egg until there were four, pure white, 

 thickly sprinkled with tiny brown spots. The 

 absolute silence of the bird as I approached the 

 nest seemed quite unusual. Not once when dis- 

 turbed did she utter a note, either of alarm or 

 curiosity, but sat quite still until my hand was 



