104 BIRDS' -NESTS. 



both together come, and after much peeping and spying 

 about, and apparently much anxious consultation, cau- 

 tiously proceed to work. In less than half an hour it 

 would seem that wool enough has been brought to sup- 

 ply the whole family, real and prospective, with socks, 

 if needles and fingers could be found fine enough to 

 knit it up. In less than a week the female has begun 

 to deposit her eggs, — four of them in as many days, 

 — white tinged with purple, with black spots on the 

 larger end. After two weeks of incubation, the young 

 are out. 



Excepting the American goldfinch, this bird builds 

 later in the spring than any other — its nest, in our 

 northern climate, seldom being undertaken till July. 

 As with the goldfinch, the reason is, probably, that 

 suitable food for the young cannot be had at an earlier 

 period. 



Like most of our common species, as the robin, spar- 

 row, bluebird, pewee, wren, etc., this bird sometimes 

 seeks wild, remote localities in which to rear its young ; 

 at others, takes up its abode near that of man. I knew 

 a pair of cedar-birds, one season, to build in an apple- 

 tree, the branches of which rubbed against the house. 

 For a day or two before the first straw was laid, I no- 

 ticed the pair carefully exploring every branch of the 

 tree, the female taking the lead, the male following her 

 with an anxious note and look. It was evident that the 

 wife was to have her choice this time : and, like on*, 

 who thoroughly knew her mind, she was proceeding to 



