AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 65 



the Pewee's nest, thus bringing the two domiciles within a few feet of each 

 other. The Vireo is a trim little bird, of a soft olive-green color, a trifle 

 larger than the Pewee, and a loud songster. It has a very inquisitive dispo- 

 sition, and seems anxious to know what its neighbors are doing. So this pair 

 of Vireos took much interest in the Pewees' affairs and often inspected their 

 work while they were absent. Sometimes one and sometimes both Vireos 

 would be peering at the Pewee's nest, and more than once they were pun- 

 ished by the fierce little proprietors when caught at it. 



The Vireos also built a model nest. They used long strips of the inner 

 bark which had been left on grape posts when the outside bark had been 

 pulled oif. These strips were ingeniously woven together, and the nest was 

 made fast to a forked twig with twine which they made out of the fibrous 

 stems of plants. 



The lining was composed of fine, fibrous material and soft grass. It is a 

 deep, compact structure, calculated to withstand heavy storms of wind and 

 rain. The watcher obtained both of these nests after the young had left 

 them. 



The Pewees had so recently come from the deep shady woods that they 

 had not yet learned to adapt themselves to their new surroundings. They 

 seemed to think the main thing was to select a horizontal limb suited for the 

 foundation of the nest, regardless of shade; and, as they worked only morn- 

 ings and evenings, they did not realize, until it was too late, that they were 

 building where the sun would strike the nest in the very hottest part of the 

 day. 



The young Pewees were hatched in July and about three o'clock every 

 afternoon the sun reached a point where it threw its burning rays directly 

 upon the nest, and the parent birds saw that their naked, helpless little ones 

 could not endure the terrible heat, and it was too smothering hot to brood 

 them, so the devoted mother made a screen of herself by sitting on the edge 

 of the nest toward the sun, and spreading her wings so as to shade her little 

 ones. There she would sit each day for more than an hour, panting and pa- 

 tiently waiting for the sun to pass, when the foliage would ag-ain throw its 

 grateful shade over the nest and relieve her from her hot, tiresome task. 



NATURE'S EARLY GUESTS 



By Agnes T. Scott, Mass. 



When winter has shaken off her apathy, and spring is ushered in with the 

 tenderer signs that makes earth and heaven meet the tide of new life, we are 

 conscious that Nature begins to hurry her budding promises for the coming 

 of the singing birds from far countries, as they come to renew old romances, 

 and to communicate to human souls their loveliness of songs. 



