158 SIRDS'-tfESTS. 



terials without fear or restraint, while three 

 men were working in the neighboring walks, 

 and many persons visiting the garden. 

 Her courage and perseverance were indeed 

 truly admirable. If watched too narrowly, 

 she saluted with her usual scolding, tshrr, 

 tshrr, tshrr, seeing no reason, probably, why 

 she should be interrupted in her indispensa- 

 ble occupation. 



" Though the males were now compara- 

 tively silent on the arrival of their busy 

 mates, I could not help observing this fe- 

 male and a second, continually vociferating, 

 apparently in strife. At last she was ob- 

 served to attack this second female very 

 fiercely, who slyly intruded herself at times 

 into the same tree where she was building. 

 These contests were angry and often re- 

 peated. To account for this animosity, I 

 now recollected that two fine males had been 

 killed in our vicinity ; and I therefore con- 

 cluded the intruder to be left without a mate ; 

 yet she had gained the affections of the con- 

 sort of the busy female, and thus the cause 

 of their jealous quarrel became apparent. 

 Having obtained the confidence of her 

 faithless paramour, the second female began 

 preparing to weave a nest in an adjoining 



