BIRDS' NESTS. 13 



must have had to strip all these from the 

 trunks of the trees, for I see they are quite 

 fresh." 



Down came another and another handful, 

 and it really seemed that the nest was un- 

 finished. Mr. Miller, however, thought that 

 the bird would not have shown such courage 

 in defending her nest, if it contained neither 

 eggs nor young birds ; and he was right ; for 

 presently Henry exclaimed, "I feel an egg 

 now ; here it is, but it is broken/' Mr. Miller 

 had never seen the egg of a nuthatch before, 

 and was glad to get a sight of even a broken 

 one ; but before the hole was emptied, another 

 broken one was found, and three sound ones. 

 They were very beautiful, pure white, and 

 speckled about the larger end with two shades 

 of purplish brown. 



"We may keep these, I suppose/ 3 said 

 Henry, " now that the nest is destroyed/ 3 



"Yes, certainly; there is no cruelty in 

 taking the eggs, now that the nest is torn to 



