52 NEWS FROM THE BIRDS. 



general anxiety comes when little ones arrive 

 in the nest. Durino^ the time of mating: and 

 nest building there is much music in the bird 

 world, the males vying with one another in 

 their efforts to sing the finest love songs ; but 

 when the more serious business of rearing a 

 family is at hand, there is comparatively little 

 minstrelsy, first, because the males nmst help 

 to feed the children, and, second, because they 

 do not want to betray the secret of the nests. 



How the robins sang in my neighborhood 

 in March, April, and May, waking me many a 

 morning at break of day with their chiming 

 choruses ! In June, with family cares demand- 

 ing attention, they seldom uttered more than a 

 wisp of melody. They went about silently, 

 lest their enemies should suspect the presence 

 of their nurseries somewhere in the maples. 

 You must not think, therefore, tliat there are 

 few birds about in June because you hear so 

 little singing. 



Some species make ver}^ little ado if you 

 find their nest with esfsrs in it ; but aftei* tliere 

 are little ones, though ever so young and home- 

 ly, the old birds will begin to set up a din as 

 soon as you go near ; and the older the young 

 birds are, the more excited their parents be- 

 come. The ovenbirds have an odd habit. As 



