92 THE ARCHITECTURE OF BIRDS. 
moment my windows were opened in the morning 
till nearly ten o’clock, and from five o’clock in the 
evening tillseven. On the morning of the 12th, the 
male made twenty-nine journeys to my room, and 
in the evening only seventeen. He gave great as- 
sistance to the female in trampling down and press- 
ing the cotton with his body, in order to make it 
into a sort of feltwork. 
“When the male arrived with parcels of moss 
and cotton, he deposited his load either on the edge 
of the nest or upon branches within the reach of the 
female. He made four or five trips of this kind 
without interruption, and then set about helping his 
mate in the execution of her work. 
“This agreeable occupation was often interrupted 
by innocent and playful gambols, though the female 
appeared to be so actively and anxiously employed 
about her building as to have less relish for trifling 
than the male; and she even punished him for his 
frolics by pecking him well with her beak. He, on 
the other hand, fought in his turn, pecked, pulled 
down the work which they had done, prevented -the 
female from continuing her labours, and, in a word, 
seemed to tell her, ‘ You refuse to be my playmate 
on account of this work, therefore you shall not do 
it!’ It will scarcely be credited, that, entirely from 
what J saw and knew respecting these little alter- 
cations, I was both surprised and angry at the fe- 
male. In order, however, to save the fabric from 
spoliation, she left off working, and fled from bush 
to bush for the express purpose of teasing him. 
Soon afterward, having made matters up again, the . 
female returned to her labour, and the male sung 
during several minutes in the most animated strains. 
After his song was concluded he began again to 
occupy himself with the work, and with fresh ar- 
dour carried such materials as his companion re- 
quired, till the spirit of frolic again became buoyant, 
and a scene similar to that which | have just de- 
