THRUSH COUSINS 



the fork of a sapling or low tree in the woods, from four 

 to eight feet up. It is quite bulky, stiffened with mud 

 like the Robin's nest, and the three to five blue eggs 

 look almost exactly like the eggs of that bird. The 

 dead leaves of which the foundation for the nest is 

 usually made, though, "give it away," as to identity. 

 The incubating Wood Thrush varies individually as 

 to tameness, but generally it will allow a near, and 

 sometimes a close approach. Several times I have 

 been able to place my tripod and camera very near a 

 nest and take pictures without flushing the birds, but 

 only because I made every motion very slowly and 

 carefully, taking a long time to do the work. On one 

 such occasion Ned watched me, and thought it looked 

 easy, but when he tried it, away went the bird, simply 

 because he was in too much of a hurry. In such work 

 with timid birds, after every new movement one must 

 pause for the bird to become accustomed to that con- 

 dition, ere it is ready for the next innovation. One 

 mother Wood Thrush was so obliging that she let me 

 reach within one foot of her and bend aside leaves 

 without being startled to flight. But the next time I 

 went, when she had young, I could not get within 

 fifteen yards of her. The best rule in working with 

 birds is to take advantage of their varying moods, and 

 when a bird is "nice," use the present opportunity for 

 all it is worth, as though there would never be another, 

 for, indeed, very likely there never will be just such 

 another again. 



250 



