40 OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS 



tails were based on circumstantial evidence 

 and that the verdict of an unprejudiced jury 

 would be unquestionably "Not guilty!" 



It so happened that on Memorial Day 

 Tommy and a neighbor, having nothing else 

 to do, were walking through the woods, and 

 chanced to see the big nest in the top of the 

 basswood tree. The young birds were now al- 

 most fully fledged and could be plainly seen on 

 their nest. The distance to the nest was so 

 great that neither was equal to the test of 

 climbing so high, but with a long pole they 

 pushed it down after they had reached a safe 

 position on one of the higher branches. With 

 a heavy fall the nest and all three of the young 

 birds came tumbling down. Although the 

 birds could not fly, they broke the fall suffi- 

 ciently with their wings to be unhurt. 



The arrival of the visitors had been so timed 

 as to reach the nest just after Mother Red-tail 

 had brought their dinner. Of late the appe- 

 tites of the three hearty youngsters had taxed 

 the resources of their industrious parents to the 

 limit, and to-day, instead of the usual pocket 

 gophers and mice, a stray chicken had been 

 brought to the nest. It was still warm and 

 bleeding when the nest was thrown down. 



