HOW I HELPED BUILD A NEST. 177 



raised, and my small friend hopped down to her 

 doorway. She gave a start of surprise at sight of 

 the feathers, but after a moment's hesitation went 

 bravely in ! While she was inside, her mate 

 waited in the tree, singing for her ; and when she 

 came out, he flew away with her. Then I crept 

 up to the oak, and to my delight found that all 

 the feathers had disappeared. She evidently 

 believed in taking what the gods provide. In 

 fact, she seemed only to wish that they would pro- 

 vide more, for, after taking a second supply from 

 me, she stood in the vestibule, cocked her crested 

 head, and looked about as if expecting to see new 

 treasures. 



She had common-sense enough to take what 

 she found at hand, but if she had not been such 

 a plucky little builder she would have been scared 

 away by the strange sights that afterwards met 

 her at her nest. Once when she came, feathers 

 were sticking in the bark all around the crack. 

 She hesitated — the rush of her flight probably 

 fanned the air so the white plumes waved in her 

 face — she hesitated and looked around timidly 

 before getting courage to go in; and* on leaving 

 the nest flew away in nervous haste ; but she was 

 soon back again, and ready to take the feathers 

 down inside the oak. She caught hold of the tip 

 of one that was wedged into a crack, and tugged 

 and tugged till I was afraid she would get dis- 

 couraged and go off without it. She got it, how- 



