THE PALACE IN THE PIG-PEN 53 c > 



y, ... 



as damp and cold as a newly plastered house. It felt v 

 \ wet to my touch. Yet I noticed that the birds were 

 .> already brooding. Every night and often during the *j^ 

 ,* day I would see one of them in the nest so deep n 

 \ in, that only a head or a tail showed over the round 

 / rim. 



'<* ) After several days I looked to see the eggs, but JH 



i?';? to my surprise found the nest empty. It had been 1 



. ! robbed, I thought, yet by what creature I could noK 



/ imagine. Then down cuddled one of the birds again , 



fii and I understood. Instead of wet and cold, the : J 

 / nest to-day was warm to my hand, and dry almost , 



;* to the bottom. It had changed color, too, all the 

 / upper part having turned a soft silver-gray. She V" 

 (I am sure it was she) had not been brooding her '; 



teggs at all ; she had been brooding her mother's v 

 thought of them; and for them had been nestling",' 

 here these days and nights, drying and warming \ 

 f their damp cradle with the fire of her life and love. V^ 



In due time the eggs came, five of them, white, Y 

 spotless, and shapely. While the little phoebe hen - 

 fwas hatching them, I gave my attention further to ^ 

 the cock. 

 0ur intimate friendship revealed a most pleas- : 

 ing nature in phosbe. Perhaps such close and con- \ 

 tinned association would show like qualities in every v 

 /^ bird, even in the kingbird ; but I fear only a woman, J 

 . ^ like Mrs. Olive Thome Miller, could find them in him. v . 

 **A Not much can be said of this flycatcher family, ex 





