46 THE YOUNGSTERS OUT. 



and on some days left only when her mate was 

 ready to take her place, which he frequently 

 did. 



On the ninth day of my watching (I had 

 not seen the beginning of the sitting), the 3d 

 of May, I found work was over and the young- 

 sters were out. There was much excitement 

 in the cedar-tree, but in a quiet way ; in fact, 

 the birds became so silent and so wary in 

 approaching the nest that it required the closest 

 watching to see them go or come, and only 

 occasionally could I detect any food in the beak. 

 I discovered very soon that mocking-bird babies 

 are brought up on hygienic principles, and have 

 their meals with great regularity. For some 

 time both parents were exceedingly busy, 

 going and coming almost constantly ; then 

 there came a rest of a half hour or more, dur- 

 ing which no food was brought. Each bird had 

 its own way of coming to the tree. Madam 

 came over the roof of the cottage where I sat, 

 and was exposed to view for only a few feet, 

 over which she passed so quickly and silently 

 that I had to be constantly on the alert to see 

 her at all. The singer had another way, and 

 by rising behind a hickory-tree beyond the 

 cedar managed to keep a screen of branches 

 between him and myself nearly every foot of 

 the way. I could see them both almost every 



