134 BIRDS'-NESTS. 



of them, and in no instance have I seen the 

 mother bird marked with red. 



The male was in full plumage, and I re- 

 luctantly shot him for a specimen. Passing 

 by the place again next day, I paused a mo- 

 ment to note how matters stood. I confess 

 it was not without some compunctions that I 

 heard the cries of the young birds, and saw 

 the widowed mother, her cares now doubled, 

 hastening to and fro in the solitary woods. 

 She would occasionally pause expectantly on 

 the trunk of a tree, and utter a loud call. 



It usually happens when the male of any 

 species is killed during the breeding season, 

 that the female soon procures another mate. 

 There are, most likely, always a few unmated 

 birds of both sexes, within a given range, 

 and through these the broken links may 

 be restored. Audubon or Wilson, I forget 

 which, tells of a pair of fish-hawks, or os- 

 preys, that built their nest in an ancient oak. 

 The male was so zealous in the defence of 

 the young that it actually attacked with beak 

 and claw a person who attempted to climb 

 into his nest, putting his face and eyes in 

 great jeopardy. Arming himself with a 

 heavy club, the climber felled the gallant 

 bird to the ground and killed him. In the 



