THE CUCKOO AND HER NEST. 179 



same kind of materials as the one previously 

 described, and cradled one egg and one callow 

 youngster. It must be remembered that this bird 

 has the quaint habit of beginning incubation as 

 soon as an egg has been deposited, and for this 

 reason young birds and comparatively fresh eggs 

 are often found in the same nest. In this case the 

 mother bird was sorely distressed, uttering her 

 agitated guttural call and pecking nervously at 

 her feathers to give vent to her overwrought feel- 

 ings. I fancied I could almost hear her heart 

 pounding against her soiled bosom. 



I resolved to watch this sylvan homestead until 

 the nestlings had grown and left it. So I carefully 

 took the bearings of the place, and was sure I could 

 readily find it again by means of a pile of rails near 

 the green, meandering lane, serving as a guide-post. 

 But, would you believe it ? When I went to the 

 woods the next evening I could not find that nest 

 anywhere, although I beat about until dark and 

 peered into every sapling within ten rods of what 

 I thought was the site. Day after day I sought 

 for it, but in vain. Were the woods bewitched, or 

 was it the nest, or was it myself ? At all events, I 

 failed to watch the development of those homely 

 bantlings in cuckoo wisdom and beauty. 



