130 NATURAL HISTORY 
somewhat like that of the whitethroat ; some birds 
have a few more notes than others. Sitting very 
materials for a nest, which she was busily depositing in the fold 
of a tarpawling which I used for the nightly covering of my 
flowers. Vexed to think that the labour of the little industrious 
bird should be lost, I called to my gardener, and ordered him to 
bring something of the cloth kind, whereupon he brought me a 
bag of coarse calico wrapping, in which groceries had been sent 
me; the mouth of which | tied up, and hung it upon alow branch 
of a plum-tree, very near to the tulip-bed, dividing the seam to 
make an entrance, and putting two sticks across to keep the 
bottom open; having so done, [ took all the materials (while she 
sat looking on and panting upon the rail) which the bird had 
brought by little and little at a time, holding them up, asit were, 
to let her see my drift, and put them by slow degrees into the bag. 
After attentively observing me for some time, and the male also, 
who had by this time appeared in sight, and by whose plumage I 
discovered that the birds in question were redstarts (Sylv. Phe- 
nicurus), I retired to a small distance, the female watching my 
motions very narrowly ; and, after a minute or two, she took cour- 
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Nes 
age, flew to the bag, looked in, and returned to the rail two or 
three times, as if to consider what she should do; at last she set 
heartily to work, as if in full confidence, completed her nest, and 
never afterward seemed to mind me at all, though I examined 
her operations every day ; she laid five eggs, all which she hatch- 
ed, and seemed to like her pendent habitation very much ; and 
