NESTLINGS OF FOREST AND MARSH 
ground, where he seemed to thrash the 
seeds out and carry away the silk in triumph. 
Funniest of all was it to watch him tug at 
a long horse hair that had become fastened 
in the bark of a tree. Bracing himself on 
the side of the trunk, woodpecker fashion, 
scolding all the time, and finally swinging 
off and around in the arc of a circle in his 
efforts to loosen it, he would not give it up. 
Several times he withdrew, tired out, only to 
renew the attack as soon as he had “ caught 
his breath again.” No other hair would do, 
and there was general rejoicing when he at 
last flew away with it. This and countless 
other hairs, he used to stiffen the nest and 
hold it in shape. 
During this time the female carried com- 
paratively little material, but did all the 
weaving. The male seemed to help to pad it 
inside with the lining material, disappearing 
entirely within the nest, but Madam attended 
to all the outside ornamentation. Not a 
piece of string of any kind, not a bit of rag 
or paper was used in it. Only plant fibre 
102 
