92 THE ARCHITECTURE OP BIRDS. 



moment my windows were opened in the morning 

 till nearly ten o'clock, and from five o'clock in the 

 evening till seven. On the morning of the 12th, the 

 male made twenty-nine journeys to my room, and 

 in the evening only seventeen. He gave great as- 

 sistance to the female in trampling down and press- 

 ing the cotton with his body, in order to make it 

 into a sort of felt work. 



"When the male arrived with parcels of moss 

 and cotton, he deposited his load either on the edge 

 of the nest or upon branches within the reach of the 

 female. He made four or five trips of this kind 

 without interruption, and then set about helping his 

 mate in the execution of her work. 



" This agreeable occupation was often interrupted 

 by innocent and playful gambols, though the female 

 appeared to be so actively and anxiously employed 

 about her building as to have less relish for trifling 

 than the male ; and she even punished him for his 

 frolics by pecking him well with her beak. He, on 

 the other hand, fought in his turn, pecked, pulled 

 down the work which they had done, prevented the 

 female from continuing her labours, and, in a word, 

 seemed to tell her, * You refuse to be my playmate 

 on account of this work, therefore you shall not do 

 it !' It will scarcely be credited, that, entirely from 

 what I saw and knew respecting these little alter- 

 cations, I was both surprised and angry at the fe- 

 male. In order, however, to save the fabric from 

 spoliation, she left off working, and fled from bush 

 to bush for the express purpose of teasing him. 

 Soon afterward, having made matters up again, the 

 female returned to her labour, and the male sung 

 during several minutes in the most animated strains. 

 After his song was concluded he began again to 

 occupy himself with the work, and with fresh ar- 

 dour carried such materials as his companion re- 

 quired, till the spirit of frolic again became buoyant, 

 and a scene similar to that which I have just de- 



