124 BIRD STORIES FROM BURROUGHS 



and, like one who thoroughly knew her mind, she 

 was proceeding to take it. Finally the site was 

 chosen upon a high branch, extending over one 

 low wing of the house. Mutual congratulations 

 and caresses followed, when both birds flew away 

 in quest of building-material. That most freely 

 used is a sort of cotton-bearing plant which grows 

 in old wornout fields. The nest is large for the 

 size of the bird, and very soft. It is in every re- 

 spect a first-class domicile. 



The cedar-bird is the most silent bird we have. 

 Our neutral-tinted birds, like him, as a rule are 

 our finest songsters; but he has no song or call, 

 uttering only a fine bead-like note on taking 

 flight. This note is the cedar-berry rendered back 

 in sound. When the ox-heart cherries, which he 

 has only recently become acquainted with, have 

 had time to enlarge his pipe and warm his heart, 

 I shall expect more music from him. But in lieu 

 of music, what a pretty compensation are those 

 minute, almost artificial-like, plumes of orange 

 and vermilion that tip the ends of his wing quills ! 

 Nature could not give him these and a song too. 



