A WIDOW AND TWINS. 133 



with the increasing age of the fledgelings ; 

 yet it is to be said that the two methods 

 continued to be used interchangeably to the 

 end, and on the 28th, when Number Two 

 had been out of the nest for seven days, the 

 mother thrust her bill down his throat, and 

 repeated the operation, just as she had done 

 three weeks before. 



For at least two days longer, as I believe, 

 the faithful creature continued her loving 

 ministrations, although I failed to detect 

 her in the act. Then, on the 1st of August, 

 as I sat on the piazza, I saw her for the 

 last time. The honeysuckle vine had served 

 her well, and still bore half a dozen scat- 

 tered blossoms, as if for her especial bene- 

 fit. She hovered before them, one by one, 

 and in another instant was gone. May the 

 Fates be kind to her, and to her children 

 after her, to the latest generation ! Our in- 

 tercourse had lasted for eight weeks, 

 wanting one day, and it was fitting that it 

 should end where it had begun, at the sign 

 of the honeysuckle. 



The absence of the father bird for all this 

 time, though I have mentioned it but casu- 

 ally, was of course a subject of continual re- 



