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always thankful to see the little hen on the nest, with 

 her tail in the air, and her soft black eye fixed on me, 

 as much as to say "All's well, we are going to pull it 

 ofif" ; and behaving as if I was of no more interest to 

 her than Alexander was to Diogenes. 



At the end of twelve days I fancied I saw the hen 

 slowly and cautiously lift herself up in the nest and 

 wriggle, as though engaged in feeding something. I 

 hoped hard, but still I feared it might only be my 

 fancy or strongly imaginative powers, especially as I 

 never saw the cock go near the nest. Day after day I 

 watched closely and felt more and more sure that the 

 same stealthy motions were repeated ; and after a time 

 I was almost sure I could hear the unmistakable sound 

 of very young birds' voices. Then one day I saw Mrs. 

 hen on the edge of the nest, and stooping down to 

 something within ; and then I felt sure that the eggs 

 had hatched, and that there were babies aboard. Now 

 I knew that my troubles would begin. It is com- 

 paratively easy to get a nest built, a good deal more 

 difficult to get eggs laid, harder still to get them 

 hatched, but hardest of all is it to get the babies 

 reared. There are so many slips between that cup and 

 that lip ! I speak with feeling. I had left some ants' 

 eggs in a saucer for the insectivorous birds, and one 

 day I caught Mrs. White-throat on the saucer busily 

 stowing away eggs. Her mouth full, away she flew to 

 the nest, and I heard quite plainly the sound of youth- 

 ful voices ' asking for more.' Clearly White-throated 

 Finches, like Nonpareils and Indigo-birds, were in- 

 sectivorous as far as rearing their young was con- 

 cerned. I knew from past experience what that meant, 

 and I prepared myself for ' the easy grace which makes 

 a joke of toil.' I realized that for a few weeks I 

 should require no more exercise than they could give 

 me. The worst of it was that being late in the season, 

 and very wet, the ants, those uncanny beasts, had 



