POCKET MAKERS. 107 



eluded that they would not waste time crying 

 over spilt milk. They calmly went to work to 

 tear the first nest to pieces and build a second 

 one out of it. One of them tweaked out its board 

 with such a jerk it sent the pocket swinging like 

 a pendulum. But the next time it wisely planted 

 its claw firmly to steady itself, while it cautiously 

 pulled the material out with its bill. 



If the birds were inexperienced, they were 

 bright enough to profit by experience. This time 

 they hung their nest between the forks of a strong- 

 twig which had a cross twig to support the roof, 

 so that the accident that had befallen them could 

 not possibly occur again. They began work at 

 the top, holding onto the twig with their claws 

 and swinging themselves down inside to put in 

 their material ; and they moulded and shaped the 

 pocket as they went along. 



After watching the progress of the new nest, I 

 went to see what had become of the old one. It 

 was on the ground. On taking it home and pull- 

 ing it to pieces, I found that the wall was from 

 half an inch to an inch thick, made of fine gray 

 moss and oak blossoms. There was a thick wad- 

 ding of feathers inside. I counted three hundred, 

 and there were a great many more ! The amount 

 of hard labor this stood for amazed me. No 

 wonder the nest pulled down, with a whole feather- 

 bed inside ! Why had they put it in ? I asked 

 some children, and one said, "To keep the eggs 



