Song Birds and Water Fowl 
parts of the tree. The remaining two, evident- 
ly smaller and weaker, remained in the nest two 
days longer ; and for several days I saw one 
and another of the brood, or heard their faint 
chirps among the trees of the orchard, by which 
they signalled to the mother-bird, that now had 
her hands full in flying hither and thither to 
feed them. When the. chicks had all left their 
narrow quarters I followed my beaten track to 
the apple-tree for the last time, and took away 
the nest for a memento. It is not an elaborate 
affair, although neatly woven, and composed of 
straw, dried grass, slender twigs of evergreen, 
and several strings which I had furnished ; while 
the lining is of soft lint, apparently from a car- 
pet, and my white yarn. 
At this late season, too, the air seemed full 
of goldfinches ; for the young were just begin- 
ning to try their wings and voices. Cedar birds 
and goldfinches have this peculiarity in com- 
mon, that they are the latest of all our birds to 
rear their young, almost all other species hav- 
ing their second or even third brood quite as 
early as these have their first. I am ignorant 
of the cause of so great delay ; but it is reason- 
able to suppose that the supply of suitable food 
for the young largely determines the time of 
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