90 ON FAIR CASCO BAY 



there and everywhere, while a small green 

 worm in the beak told plainly enough it was 

 his wandering offspring he sought. Under 

 the pressure of family cares, and harassed 

 by the incessant cries of the youngsters, he 

 remained, I was pleased to see, the same 

 sweet-tempered darling, and whenever there 

 came a lull in his hard work, he poured out 

 his cheery song as enchantingly as ever. 



During the remainder of the month I fre- 

 quently saw and more frequently heard the 

 little family as they followed their busy 

 parents around on neighboring trees. One 

 day I noted the singer flitting about the top 

 of the spruce, singing most joyously, and 

 almost as constantly as before the advent of 

 the nestlings, while the mother was hurrying 

 over the lower branches of the same tree 

 collecting food for one infant. Suddenly the 

 song ceased, and almost instantly the tiny 

 papa joined the family below, and addressed 

 himself with his usual energy to the business 

 of filling that greedy mouth. Over and under 

 and around and between and through the 

 branches he rushed, every few seconds re- 

 turning to stuff a morsel into the always 



