80 A BIRD'S-NEST HUNTER. 



strictly to the performance of escort duty. 

 When she had fitted the new twigs into 

 their place to her satisfaction (which often 

 took considerable time) she uttered a sig- 

 nal, and the pair flew out of the wood to- 

 gether, talking sweetly as they went. The 

 male was aware of my presence from the 

 beginning, I think, but he appeared to re- 

 gard it as of no consequence. Probably 

 he believed the nest well out of my reach, 

 as in fact it was. He usually sang a few 

 snatches while waiting for his wife, and, as 

 he sat within a few feet of her and made 

 no attempt at concealment, it could hardly 

 be supposed that he refrained from offering 

 to assist her for fear his brighter colors 

 should betray their secret. Some different 

 motive from this must be assigned for his 

 seeming want of gallantry. To all appear- 

 ance, however, the parties themselves took 

 the whole proceeding as a simple matter of 

 course. They were but minding the most 

 approved grosbeak precedents ; and after 

 all, who is so likely to be in the right as he 

 who follows the fashion ? Shall one bird 

 presume to be wiser than all the millions 

 of his race ? Nay ; as the Preacher long 



