THE CHESTNUT - SIDED WARBLER 



nest. I think she wanted me to criticise her 

 work. I usually told her that it was well 

 done, and so it was. The bush was a sweet 

 pepper bush, and the nest was saddled be- 

 tween the main stem and two twigs. When 

 I first saw the nest it was but just begun. 

 The bottom was a small wad of some gray 

 material, which I found afterward was shreds 

 of wool from an old gray coat that I had dis- 

 carded. I placed grass and string on my 

 knee and the bird's keen sight discovered it 

 at once. She fearlessly hopped from a twig 

 to my knee and examined the material. She 

 was satisfied with the inspection and took 

 three blades of grass to the nest. When she 

 had coiled them, one stiff blade insisted on 

 standing out straight. She put this in place 

 three times, but it would straighten out each 

 time. She flew away and returned immedi- 

 ately with some spider-web with which she 

 fastened the blade of grass to one of the 

 twigs. The male warbler swung from a twig 

 over the nest and inspected the work. Once 

 he pulled out a piece of string and his wife 

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