BIRDS-NESTS. 1 2 9 



boring walks and many persons visiting the garden. 

 Her courage and perseverance were indeed truly ad- 

 mirable. If watched too narrowly, she saluted with 

 her usual scolding, tshrr, tshrr, tshrr, seeing no reason, 

 probably, why she should be interrupted in her indis- 

 pensable occupation. 



" Though the males were now comparatively silent 

 on the arrival of their busy mates, I could not help 

 observing this female and a second, continually vocif- 

 erating, apparently in strife. At last she was observed 

 to attack this second female very fiercely, who slyly in- 

 truded herself at times into the same tree where she 

 was building. These contests were angry and often 

 repeated. To account for this animosity, I now recol- 

 lected that two fine males had been killed in our vicin- 

 ity ; and I therefore concluded the intruder to be left 

 without a mate ; yet she had gained the affections of 

 the consort of the busy female, and thus the cause of 

 their jealous quarrel became apparent. Having ob- 

 tained the confidence of her faithless paramour, the 

 second female began preparing to weave a nest in an 

 adjoining elm, by tying together certain pendent twigs 

 as a foundation. The male now associated chiefly with 

 the intruder, whom he even assisted in her labor, yet 

 did not wholly forget his first partner who called on 

 him one evening in a low, affectionate tone, which was 

 answered in the same strain. While they were thus 

 engaged in friendly whispers, suddenly appeared the 

 rival, and a violent rencontre ensued, so that one of the 



