118 THE TAWNY THBUSH'S BROOD. 



in this neighborhood liked. After that I never 

 went into the woods, on whatever errand bent, 

 but I kept my eyes open for the chosen situa- 

 tion. I examined dozens of promising spots, and 

 I found nests that had been used, which proved 

 that I was on the right track, and kept up my 

 courage. 



It was several days before another tawny- 

 thrush cradle in use gladdened our eyes, and this 

 was in a wild part of the woods where we seldom 

 went. We were drawn there by the song of a 

 tiny warbler, whose nest my friend desired to 

 find, since it was rare ; and in passing a thicket 

 of maple saplings three feet high, she discovered 

 a nest. She quickly parted the leaves and 

 looked in; three young birds opened their 

 mouths for food. "Veeries!" she exclaimed, 

 in surprise. "What a strange place! " 



This little home rested on a bare dead stick 

 that had fallen and lodged in a living branch, 

 and the dead leaves used by veeries in their 

 building made it conspicuous, when the eyes hap- 

 pened to fall upon it ; but it was so well con- 

 cealed by living branches that one might pass 

 fifty times and not see it. I describe this loca- 

 tion, for it was very unusual. 



We looked at the birdlings ; we walked on till 

 we came to the place where we turned from the 

 path to see the warbler's little domicile. My 



