42 Bird Comrades 



way. The situation was growing interesting. The two 

 birdlets chirped and flitted about in the tree for a long 

 time, afraid to go down to the nest. I moved slowly 

 and cautiously farther up the path to give them a better 

 chance to divulge their secret. Presently the pretty 

 madame summoned courage to drop to a lower perch in 

 the tree, then to a still lower one, then to the top of one 

 of the bushes below, and at last into the weed clump and 

 out of sight. 



I wasted no time. In a minute I was pressing the 

 weeds apart and looking down admiringly into the little cot 

 with its four half -fledged occupants the first Kentucky 

 warbler's nest I had ever seen. Set upon the ground, 

 its bulky foundation of dry leaves supported the cup 

 proper, which was lined with fine grass. Easy enough to 

 find when you knew precisely where to look for it. 



Think now of the little game the male bird had played 

 me on my previous visits to the haunt! He had 

 descended into the copse about four rods distant from 

 the nest instead of going down near its site; then he had 

 doubtless followed a secret pathway throtigh the weeds 

 and bushes to the nest, fed his children, and hurried 

 away without letting himself be seen. 



The parent birds did not like the idea of my finding 

 and inspecting their nest, for they chirped and darted 

 about in a panic. To relieve their anguish I retired up 

 the slope a short distance, seated myself in the pleasant 

 shade of a scrub oak, and made an entry of my find in 

 my notebook. Alas! I had probably done harm to my 



