102 THE-.WILtiS OF A WARBLER 



several days, and I had almost begun to en- 

 tertain the idea of the redstart's proprietor- 

 ship and to wonder if this could be a pro- 

 gressive, " end-of-the-century " affair, or if 

 the redstart had " married out of meeting," 

 as the Friends say not very seriously, 

 however. 



Here once more I had opportunity to re- 

 flect how wise are the birds not to disturb 

 their surroundings. Scarcely ever does any 

 litter of discarded material or any disarrang- 

 ing of branches or leaves proclaim their 

 presence. They slip in and select a place, 

 leaving everything exactly as Nature has 

 arranged it, and when they are sitting or 

 absent after food there is nothing to betray 

 the bird's secret. One day while I was watch- 

 ing this warbler nursery, three or four 

 people came along, and I feared that seeing 

 me they would look for birds. Then I noticed 

 how perfectly solitary the bower of the un- 

 known was left. There was absolutely 

 nothing to point out the home of the little 

 family. The tuft of moss which hid it was 

 not nearly so thick as many others ; its long 

 veil swung idly in the wind, the picture of 



