ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB. 5 



is beating wildly with fear and apprehension, but still she sits 

 bravely on her trust. . She would say, if she could, with the Roman 

 mother, " These are my jewels," and would entreat us to spare them. 

 Now I will advance my hand cautiously. See ! I almost touch her 

 tail with my finger-tips ; but the next instant she is gone. How 

 quietly at the last moment she slid over the edge of the nest, barely 

 eluding my grasp ! A faint cry or two, and there comos the male ; 

 but he, gaudy little braggart ! is far better at singing bravo deeds 

 than performing them, and will not trust himself very near, though 

 he keeps up a constant chirping. His mate, however, is bold enough 

 for both, and in her anxiety almost comes within reach of our 

 hands. Now look into the nest ! Beauties, are they not I Four 

 of them ; rosy white, spotted prettily with umber, lilac, and a few 

 scattered dashes of black. Observe how cunningly the whole affair 

 is concealed, — built close to the stem of the little fir, resting on 

 the flat horizontally disposed rows of "needles," and arched over 

 by the flake-like layer of twigs above. One long rootlet alone 

 hangs down in full view, and had it not caught my eye I might 

 have passed without discovering the nest. It seems, indeed, a pity 

 to disturb it, but we shall regret it next winter if we leave it be- 

 hind. Naturalists are probably not hard-hearted by inclination, 

 but of necessity. I dare say the female will commence another 

 nest before wo pass here on our way back, and the male will be 

 singing as joyously as ever in an hour or two. Birds' gi'ief, like 

 their average lives, is short, though apparently intense for the time. 

 It is only the end, however, that can ever justify the destruction of 

 a nest, and unthinking persons might, in many cases, be benefited 

 by contemplating a little more closely the sufiFering which they in- 

 flict. 



As the published descriptions of the nestirjg of this species are 

 meagre and more or less conflicting, I shall go somewhat fully into 

 the matter. 



Location of Nest. — The nest is usually placed in a small fir or 

 spruce, and rarely at a greater elevation than five or six feet. The 

 average height would probably not exceed four feet, and I have 

 found some barely twelve inches above the ground. It is usually 

 laid somewhat loosely among the horizontal twigs, from which it 

 can in most cases be lifted intact. Favorite localities are the edges 

 of wood-paths, or roads bordered by woods, and clearings grown 

 up to small evergreens. Exceptional situations are the interior of 



