226 FIELD-NOTES FOR THE YEAR, CII. XVI. 



their winter covering of snow ; indeed, on the higher 

 inland mountains their white dresses extend down 

 very nearly as low as in the winter. But notwith- 

 standing the bad weather there is much to amuse and 

 interest one in the sheltered parts of the low country. 

 Every plant and flower is bursting into beauty, in 

 spite of the cold blasts ; and the small birds are in 

 full activity, and seem at the height of their happi- 

 ness. It is also a constant source of amusement to 

 us to watch the various ways of building and the 

 different nests of the small birds. Each nest has its 

 own character, and each bird its own place of con- 

 cealment. The little willow wren forms one of the 

 most interesting nests, which it places either under 

 a bush in the flower-garden, or in a rough grass- 

 field, where it forms a kind of dome-shaped nest, 

 made to assimilate completely with the surface of 

 the surrounding ground. 



The common wren, too, is very choice and careful 

 in the structure of her nest, and sometimes builds 

 in the most singular situations. I saw one this year 

 which was built in a cactus, that hung from the roof 

 of a greenhouse. Every time the little bird wished 

 to add a leaf, or a piece of moss, she had to squeeze 

 and twist herself in through a small hole left for the 

 entrance of a vine stem. Her perseverance and 

 determination were extraordinary ; for in spite of all 



