

THE FAERY YEAR 



titmouse and the common wren. The cock birds 

 of both species build the cock wren, as we know, 

 often making a beautiful nest without the aid of a 

 hen. I was describing in my chronicle of March a 

 cock wren nest. Complete, save for a few touches 

 and perfunctory feathers, the nest was left when 

 dark, wet weather set in. It grew sodden. I saw 

 and heard no more of the builder, a solitary cock 

 wren, and believed that, like other nests of the kind 

 I found, it would never be used. But, on May 1 6, 

 I found that the finishing touches had been added. 

 The entrance had been smoothed and knit to wren 

 perfection a wonderful perfection it is, and would 

 be the despair of the deftest fingers, even those 

 painfully laborious ones of the Indian the moss 

 casket held six warm treasures. The hen bird now 

 sits hard. 



Therefore, this cock wren had built a nest, with 

 gay ditties as he worked. By-and-by he brought a 

 mate to it. I should have liked to witness his dis- 

 covery of it to her. It reminds one of Wemmick 

 and his bride " Hullo, here's a church, let's go in. 

 Hullo, here's a clergyman, let's get married." 



Why Butterfly and Sun? 



Why does a butterfly care for the sun ? We are 

 so familiar with the association of butterfly and sun- 

 shine that we do not think about the cause ; yet it 

 is not very obvious. The moth u mollard " some 

 122 



