222 THE LIFE OF A BIRD. 



thought that to restore them to the nest would 

 prove useless. The attempt however was made ; 

 and the eggs, which were nearly cold, were picked 

 up and replaced in the nest, which was repaired 

 and put together again as well as was possible. 

 The eggs had not been restored to their former 

 position five minutes before the bird came, and 

 again took charge of them. In two days they 

 were hatched, the infant brood being from that 

 time of course objects of daily interest and obser- 

 vation. 



The adventures of this poor bird's little progeny 

 were not yet ended. Great was the dismay of 

 their lady-protector, some days afterwards, at 

 finding all the little ones upon the ground stiff 

 and cold, having fallen through a fracture in 

 the patched nest, which happened not to have 

 been arranged in a manner sufficiently strong to 

 keep them together. This lady took the little 

 ones up, and with maternal sympathy for the 

 bereaved parent, on perceiving a slight movement 

 in one of them, she carried them into the house, 

 where, partly by the warmth of the hand, and 

 partly by the influence of a fire to which they 

 were held, they all gradually recovered. They 



