NATURAL HISTORY. 197 



the shade of a tree. They were building in 

 the fork of the branches, and had laid the 

 foundation, which was about four inches high 

 and six inches across. This part was made 

 of moss and flax, mixed with grass and tufts 

 of cotton. The next day this gentleman never 

 left the side of the nest : the female was at 

 work building, and the male brought the ma- 

 terials. In the morning the male bird made 

 twenty-nine journeys to Mr. Vaillant's table 

 for flax and cotton and moss ; and in the af- 

 ternoon he made seventeen. He would help 

 his mate to trample down and press the cotton 

 with his body, so as to make it into felt. 

 Whenever he came with a load, he would put 

 it either upon the edge of the nest or upon 

 some branch within reach of the female. 



K After he began to help the female at her 

 work, he would often break off, and begin to 

 play ; and sometimes, as if in mischief, he 

 would pull down a little of her work. She 

 would get angry, and peck him with her bill : 

 but he still continued to vex her, until at 

 last, to save her work from being pulled down, 

 she would stop working, and fly off from bush 

 to bush, to tease him. They would then 

 make up the quarrel, and she set about her 



