THE BLACK PHCEBE. 23 



But merry folks, who like to laugh at anything, 

 will tell you they love to hear it, especially on a 

 foggy morning. 



There, sits the bird right before you, on the top 

 of the barn-door, which you left open! She is 

 turning her head to one side in the familiar way 

 she has. She ruffles her small crest, and looks 

 all over as if she had dressed for breakfast in a 

 hurry. Her habit of lifting her feathers gives 

 one the idea that she is a very careless bird, 

 always in poor dress. But it is not so! She is 

 tidy, even when she is on the edge of the puddle 

 for mud. She may have a beakful, 'but not a 

 speck is on her breast, or face, or wings. 



We leave the garden hydrant dripping on pur- 

 pose for Phoebe, from March to August, as this is 

 her nesting-time ; and phoebe-birds must have 

 water at nesting-time. 



She may bring off three broods during the 

 spring and summer. With four to a brood, that 

 would make twelve young phoebes a year for each 

 nest made. And yet phoebe-birds are not so very 

 common about our homes. We have but one or 

 two pairs with us, though we tempt them to come 

 by all the ways we know. 



The phoebes build under the eaves, if they can 

 find the least shelf for the first load of mud. 



