OUR COUNTRY HOME 



June 5 Hoping to furnish our bare expanse of terrace at 

 once, we brought from the city our big palms and araucarias. 

 Later we found that they clashed with their surroundings and took 

 from the woodsy look of the place, so we gave them all away. 

 One morning, when the wind was blowing a gale, we moved the 

 big araucaria, twelve feet high, to a sheltered corner on the north, 

 close to the coat-room window. When we went to put it back on 

 the south terrace, the next day, behold a robin had taken possession 

 and with bill half-full of straws, watched us in apprehension. 

 Did we carry out our intention ? By no means. The tree stayed 

 in that cosy corner for over four weeks, and we watched the 

 entire home life of those industrious birds from the little window 

 not three feet away. The last one left the nest at half-past 

 seven o'clock on Monday morning, just as our guests were going 

 to the train. It was a pretty sight to see his daring swagger, his 

 outlook on the big world, the coaxing parents not far away, and 

 finally his courageous start and successful swoop down to a bush, 

 where a fat grub rewarded his bravery. At one time we were 

 watching more than thirty nests of various kinds, and a fascinat- 

 ing study it was! 



June 13 We found at last the redstart's nest in a lilac bush 

 close to the south window of the cottage. They were the first birds 

 I learned to identify after the robins. It was impossible not to 

 become acquainted with them, they were so friendly and tame, so 



cheerful and busy. And no wonder, with four small I mean 



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