WITH BROWN PREDOMINATING 299 
another gray pocket containing young nearly ready to 
fly. The pair which were building worked together, 
bringing moss, tiny leaves, lichens, and bits of paper, 
which they tucked dexterously into the outer walls. At 
first one could see through the structure, so loosely was 
it woven, but little by little the weaving and lining filled 
the interstices until it was of the proper solidity and 
thickness. Then began the carrying of feathers to the 
pretty cradle, and for a whole day one or the other of 
the wee builders, neither one of which was larger than a 
man’s thumb, brought feathers. Often, with his bill so 
full of these that the bird was very little larger than his 
load, the tiny male would dart in through the little round 
doorway, followed closely by the female with her portion ; 
and both would fly out again almost instantly. Usually, 
however, only one feather at a time was carried. The 
nearest chicken yard was at least one hundred yards dis- 
tant, and from the frequency of the trips to the nest and 
-the distance the feathers were brought, the birds must 
have been constantly on the wing. 
When all was finished to their satisfaction, the female 
disappeared into the depths of the swinging cradle and 
was seen by me no more for twelve days. Her mate 
brought her food at short intervals during the warm 
hours of the day, always alighting near and _ calling 
before he ventured to the nest. He never went inside 
while I was watching, but leaned down to her until 
only the tip of his tail could be seen in the doorway. 
On the fourteenth day after incubation had begun, a slit 
