A FRIENDLY MOCKING-BIRD. 37 



other couple, already sitting when discovered, 

 I watched through the incubation and nursing 

 of the little ones, and at last assisted in giving 

 them a fair chance for their lives and a start 

 in the world. It may be thought that my as- 

 sistance was not particularly valuable ; the birds 

 shared this opinion ; none the less, but for my 

 presence not one of those birdlings would be 

 free and happy to-day, as I hope and believe 

 they are. To the study of these two house- 

 holds I gave nearly every hour of daylight, in 

 all weathers, for a month, and of the life that 

 went on in and around them I can speak from 

 personal knowledge ; beyond that, and at other 

 times in his life, I do not profess to know the 

 mocking-bird. 



The bird whose nest-making I witnessed was 

 the one whose performance I chose to consider 

 a welcome, and his home was in the pine grove, 

 a group of about twenty trees, left from the 

 original forest possibly, at any rate nearly a 

 hundred feet high, with all branches near the 

 top, as though they had grown in close woods. 

 They were quite scattering now, and lower 

 trees and shrubs flourished in their shade, mak- 

 ing a charming spot, and a home worthy even 

 of this superb songster. The bird himself was 

 remarkably friendly. Seeming to appreciate 

 my attitude of admiring listener, he often 



