BIRDS'-NESTS 



on the arrival of their busy mates, I could not help 

 observing this female and a second, continually 

 vociferating, apparently in strife. At last she was 

 observed to attack this second female very fiercely, 

 who slyly intruded herself at times into the same 

 tree where she was building. These contests were 

 angry and often repeated. To account for this ani- 

 mosity, I now recollected that two fine males had 

 been killed in our vicinity, and I therefore con- 

 cluded the intruder to be left without a mate; yet 

 she had gained the affections of the consort of the 

 busy female, and thus the cause of their jealous 

 quarrel became apparent. Having obtained the con- 

 fidence of her faithless paramour, the second female 

 began preparing to weave a nest in an adjoining 

 elm by tying together certain pendent twigs as a 

 foundation. The male now associated chiefly with 

 the intruder, whom he even assisted in her labor, 

 yet did not wholly forget his first partner, who called 

 on him one evening in a low, affectionate tone, 

 which was answered in the same strain. While 

 they were thus engaged in friendly whispers, sud- 

 denly appeared the rival, and a violent rencontre 

 ensued, so that one of the females appeared to be 

 greatly agitated, and fluttered with spreading wings 

 as if considerably hurt. The male, though prudently 

 neutral in the contest, showed his culpable partial- 

 ity by flying off with his paramour, and for the rest 

 of the evening left the tree to his pugnacious con- 

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