NESTLINGS OF FOREST AND MARSH 
His inoffensive little brother sat contentedly 
on one foot taking a sun-bath, the other 
foot being tucked up among his feathers. 
No sooner had Monsieur Mischief spied 
this than he alighted close by, and after 
peeking under in great curiosity to see 
what had become of the missing foot, seized 
it and pulled it down into place. There 
was no audible protest at his interference, 
but the little foot was curled up again as 
soon as released. Again he seized it and 
again it was silently drawn up. At the 
third attempt patience ceased to be a virtue, 
and the little fellow, unable to defend him- 
self, flew away. Doubtless the tormentor 
would have followed him but for a big dragon- 
fly which came soaring past and proved 
too alluring game. 
It was while watching a brood of catbirds 
several years ago that I discovered a very 
interesting fact in bird economy. The 
excrements of the young are voided in tiny 
sacs, and are instantly carried away in the 
beak of the parent, who drops them during 
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