CH. I.] WILL BUILD IN THE DRAWING-ROOM. 153 



broom (her "furca") or her fingers, and out it 

 came, when they immediately looked out another 

 place and began again. Three or four nests had 

 been thus commenced, and as rudely put a stop 

 to, when the birds, seeing the mistake they had 

 committed in building within the housemaids' 

 reach, pitched on a spot where they might well 

 think the nest would be secure from molestation, 

 in a corner, over one of the curtain-rods. Here 

 they laboured undisturbed, except that the house- 

 maids still endeavoured to hinder their operations 

 by keeping the windows shut a's much as possible, 

 and giving chase to them whenever they found 

 them in the room. I have seen the housemaid in 

 vain attempting to drive one out, as he kept hop- 

 ping about, just out of her reach, with a piece of 

 moss or leaf in his mouth destined for the nest, 

 to which he at length succeeded in carrying it. 

 In spite of this determined opposition they ma- 

 naged, by great exertions, to get a rough nest 

 finished in time to receive Madame's first egg. 

 They must then have considered their triumph 

 complete, but, alas! that very day was the one 

 fixed upon for the general half-yearly "cleaning." 

 The doom of the nest was sealed, and a short time 

 afterwards I was sorry to see it, looking very 



