BIRDS OF KANSAS. 527 



was fastened to the forks of a small horizontal branch. The 

 frame of the nest appeared to be completed. The birds were 

 busj at work, the female lining the nest with small, hair-like 

 stems, the male covering the outside with soft, lint-like fibrous 

 strippings from plants (these closely resembling the limb and 

 its surroundings), and dotting it over with lichen. Happy in the 

 thought that he was not only beautifying the home of his lady 

 bird, but protecting her from view by his artistic skill (notwith- 

 standing the fact that she had selected an open and exposed sit- 

 uation, he could not refrain from expressing his joy, at intervals 

 during the work, in snatches of his sweetest notes. The female, 

 more watchful, sighted me, and gave notice of the intrusion. 

 Quick as thought, the birds were away. The male, alighting 

 near the top of an adjoining tree, at once poured forth his song 

 in loudest notes, no doubt thinking that by attracting my atten- 

 tion to him, I would lose sight of the nest. Knowing it was 

 now too late for concealment, and that any attempt to hide away 

 would only increase their suspicions, and stop or delay the work, 

 I carelessly walked nearer, in order to have a better view, and 

 lay down on my back in an open space. In a short time the 

 female returned, hopped about the tree, inspected me closely 

 from the lower limbs, and then flew away and returned several 

 times, before bringing material, or venturing to approach the 

 nest. But the moment she did so, the song of the male ceased, 

 and the work of building was actively resumed. As the female 

 stood upon the top of the nest, with head down and inside, I 

 could not see the manner of arranging the lining; but as she 

 kept walking around upon the rim, I could, in imagination, see 

 her plaiting and weaving in and out the hair-like stems. It was 

 very easy and interesting, however, to see and note the actions 

 of the male, as he deftly worked the material into the frame- 

 work, running the longer, fibrous, thread-like strips through, and 

 then quickly springing upon the top, and fastening them on the 

 inside. Then he would rearrange the outside, stopping a mo- 

 ment to inspect the work, and then off in search of more mate- 

 rial, occasionally warbling a few notes on the way; but he was 

 silent at the nest, while I remained so near. At the rate their 



