A BIR&S-NEST HUNTER. 87 



the minute or two which elapsed between 

 my discovery of them and their discovery of 

 me. I felt almost guilty for intruding upon 

 such a scene ; but, if they could only have 

 believed it, I intended no harm, nor have 

 I now any thought of profaning their inno- 

 cent mysteries by attempting to describe 

 what I saw. 



The male tanager, with his glory of jet 

 black and flaming scarlet, is in curious con- 

 trast with his mate, with whose personal 

 appearance, nevertheless, he seems to be 

 abundantly satisfied. Possibly he looks upon 

 a dirty greenish-yellow as the loveliest of 

 tints, and regards his own dress as nothing 

 better than commonplace, in comparison. 

 Like the rose - breasted grosbeak and the 

 wood thrush, however, he is brought up with 

 the notion that it belongs to the female to 

 be the carpenter of the family ; a belief in 

 which, happily for his domestic peace, the 

 female herself fully concurs. 



As a general thing, handsomely dressed 

 people live in handsome houses (emphasis 

 should perhaps be laid on the word dressed), 

 and it would seem natural that a like con- 

 gruity should hold in the case of birds. 



