XV. 



THE CHESTNUT - SIDED WARBLER 



THURSDAY morning, May 27, 1886, a small 

 bird hopped out of the bushes into my door- 

 yard. The bird was a female chestnut-sided 

 warbler. She was collecting dry grass blades 

 for a nest. 



May 27, 1897, the same little bird was in 

 my dooryard engaged as before, collecting 

 nesting material. 



Eleven years had been credited to the past 

 for man and bird. The man had not escaped 

 the weight of the added years. Deeper 

 wrinkles and gray hair told the story, but the 

 little bird, strange to tell, was apparently as 

 blithe and young as on that Thursday morn- 

 ing eleven years before. 



I provide an abundance of nesting material 

 253 



