3i6 An American Fruit- Farm 



built its nest and brought forth four young. The 

 parent birds were tame, coming to the nest con- 

 stantly with supplies ; even alighting on our persons 

 as we sat near by. One afternoon I noticed 

 three birds feeding the brood, but being doubtful, 

 I summoned witnesses from the household. We 

 all agreed that the old birds had a helper. We 

 noticed that when she came, the birdlets were still 

 as mice, nor made one peep till long after the 

 "neighbor'' had gone. It was an English sparrow 

 that was helping and that continued to help till 

 the last chippet had flown from the nest. Whether 

 some moiuning widow, or officious neighbor, — 

 the ''slums" were quite a distance away, — or 

 whether the chippets, feeling that they had too 

 large a contract on hand, had employed a day nurse 

 we never knew. Every fruit-farm should he a 

 bird-sanctuary. 



