XII. 

 STORY OF THE NESTLINGS. 



WHILE I was studying the manners and cus- 

 toms of the bird in blue, babies were growing 

 up in the pine-tree nest. Five days after I be- 

 gan to observe, I saw little heads above the 

 edge. On the sixth day they began, as mothers 

 say, to " take notice," stirring about in a lively 

 way, clambering up into sight, and fluttering 

 their draperies over the edge. Now came busy 

 and hungry times in the jay family ; the mother 

 added her forces, and both parents worked in- 

 dustriously from morning till night. 



On the seventh day I was up early, as usual, 

 and, also as usual, my first act was to admire 

 the view from my window. I fancied it was the 

 most beautiful in the early morning, when the 

 sun, behind the rampart of locust and other 

 trees, threw the yard into deep shade, painting 

 a thousand shadow pictures on the grass ; but 

 at still noon, when every perfect tree stood on 

 its own shadow, openings looked dark and mys- 

 terious, and a bird was lost in the depths, then I 

 was sure it was never so lovely ; again at night, 



