82 BIRDS. 



The nest was built near the end of a long, knotty, 

 horizontal branch of an apple-tree, but effectually hid* 

 den by the grouping of the leaves ; it had three eggs > 

 one of which proved to be barren. The two young 

 birds grew apace, and were out of the nest early in 

 the second week ; but something caught one of them 

 the first night. The other probably grew to maturity, 

 as it disappeared from the vicinity with its parents 

 after some days. 



The blue-back's nest was scarcely a foot from the 

 ground, in a little bush situated in a low, dense wood 

 of hemlock and beech and maple, amid the Catskills, 

 — a deep, massive, elaborate structure, in which the 

 sitting bird sank till her beak and tail alone were vis- 

 ible above the brim. It was a misty, chilly day when 

 I chanced to find the nest, and the mother-bird knew 

 instinctively that it was not prudent to leave her four 

 half incubated eggs uncovered and exposed for a mo- 

 ment. When I sat down near the nest she grew very 

 uneasy, and after trying in vain to decoy me away by 

 suddenly dropping from the branches and dragging 

 herself over the ground as if mortally wounded, sho 

 approached and timidly and half doubtingly covered 

 her eggs within two yards of where I sat. I disturbed 

 her several times to note her ways. There came to 

 be something almost appealing in her looks and man- 

 ner, and she would keep her place on her precious 

 eggs till my outstretched hand was within a few feet 

 of her. Finally, I covered the cavity of the nest with 

 a dry leaf. This she did not remove with her beak, 

 but thrust her head deftlv beneath it and shook it off 

 upon the ground. Many of her sympathizing neigh- 

 bors, attracted by her alarm note, came and had a 

 peep at the intruder and then flew away, but the male 



