14 OUR FEATHERED FRIENDS. 
strong, firm twig or branch that will rock and tilt in 
the breeze, makes a good rocker of the old-fashioned 
sort. 
‘““Rock-a-bye baby on the tree top, 
When the wind blows the cradle will rock; 
When the bough breaks the cradle will fall, 
Down comes baby, cradle and all.” 
But it is a very hard wind that can break one of 
these rocker boughs or blow a bird’s cradle out of its 
place. Sometimes a crib is blown out of the elbow of 
a tree, because the nest in the elbow is not fastened by 
string, as it is ina bough, but is just tucked in between 
the great branches. 
Birds are very wise and select their boughs with 
great care. Lithe, yielding branches are just right for 
rockers, they will spring and swing so readily. Some- 
times a young twig and a strong old twig, joined 
together, make a pair of bird rockers. 
A cradle of this kind is very handy for the mother 
bird. The wind rocks the babies to sleep, and the 
leaves sing lullaby songs, while the mother blinks 
away on the nest or goes off in search of food. 
Sometimes the mother herself sings the babies to 
sleep, sitting in the cradle with them. Some of the 
finches twitter a low musical song over their little ones, 
and we have often found their nests by hearing these 
soft, sweet notes. One must listen as well as look, to 
learn these pleasant secrets. 
Some mother birds do not approve of rockers for their 
