DANGER IN THE NEST. 5 



of his own just then, without thinking of dis- 

 turbing his neighbors, for he was engaged in 

 the task of introducing his young family to the 

 world, and every bird watcher knows that is at- 

 tended with almost as many difficulties as is the 

 same operation in what we call " society." 



If the youngster escape the dangers peculiar 

 to the nest, the devouring jaws of squirrel or 

 owl, the hands of the egg thief, being shaken 

 out by the wind, smothered by an intrusive 

 cow-bunting, or orphaned by the gun of a " col- 

 lector;" if, neither stolen, eaten, thrown out, 

 nor starved, he arrives at the age that his wings 

 begin to stir and force him out of the leafy 

 green tent of his birth, a new set of dangers 

 meet him at the door. He may entangle him- 

 self in a hair of the nest-lining, and hang him- 

 self at the very threshold of life — a not un- 

 common occurrence ; or he may safely reach 

 the nearest twig and from there fall and break 

 his neck — not a rare accident ; he may be at- 

 tacked by a bird who questions his right to be 

 on the tree ; he may fly, and, not reaching his 

 goal, come to the ground, an easy prey to any 

 prowler. 



In this blackbird family one of the little ones 

 had taken his first ambitious flight to the ori- 

 ole's tree, where he must and should be fed and 

 comforted, in spite of the hostile reception of its 



