NESTLINGS OF FOREST AND MARSH 



The little pair in the blackberries, how- 

 ever, took no such precautions. They were 

 typical yellow-bird architects, and their home 

 was built with an eye to sunshine and fresh 

 air, and recklessly exposed to the gaze ot 

 every passer-by. The outside being com- 

 plete, they brought silk from the pussy-wil- 

 lows, padding it inside thickly and smoothly 

 up to the rim. 



Alas ! that wretched parasite among birds, 

 the cowbird, found the pretty home and 

 made it a cradle for one of her own ugly 

 eggs. When this was discovered, there was 

 great consternation in the warbler family for 

 an hour or so. Then patiently, choosing 

 the lesser of two evils, the little builders 

 carefully constructed a second story on top 

 of the first, leaving the intruder walled into 

 the cellar. Scarcely was the structure com- 

 pleted and one tiny blue egg laid, when the 

 same catastrophe overtook it. This was too 

 much, and I expected them to desert and 

 build elsewhere, but with more than human 

 perseverance they formed a third nest, even 

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