120 THE TAWNY THRUSH'S BROOD. 



do not care ; but my nerves basely fail me, and 

 after a few moments, and a dozen stings here 

 and there, I spring involuntarily to my feet, 

 wildly flourish my wisp of leaves, and of course 

 put to instant flight the actors in the drama be- 

 fore me. 



The pair of veeries in the maple bushes were 

 never reconciled to our visits. They called and 

 cried in all the varied inflections of their sweet 

 voices, and they moved uneasily about on the 

 low branches with mouths full of food. But 

 though we were as motionless as circumstances 

 would permit, they never learned to trust us. 



One — the mother, doubtless — did sometimes 

 pay a flying visit to her three darlings under the 

 leaves ; but she undoubtedly felt that she took 

 her life in her hands (so to speak), and it did 

 not give her courage. She returned to her post 

 and cried no less than before. We were not 

 heartless ; we could not bear to torture the timid 

 creatures, and therefore we never stayed very 

 long. 



Every day we looked at the growing babies, 

 who passed most of their time in sleep, as babies 

 should ; and at last came the time, sooner than 

 expected, when we found the family had flitted. 

 Nestlings cradled near the ground seem to be 

 spared the long period in the nest endured by 

 birdlings who must be able to fly before they 



