IS7



and, taking advantage of my lamentable good-nature, he made a

present of them to me. Being as it were visitors, I felt con¬

strained to treat them to my best, and so loosed them into the

aviary where the Finches were. They were weak from long

caging, and it was late in the season for them, nevertheless they

resolved upon going to nest. They took a fancy to the Tong-

tails’ nest in the lime tree, and, not caring to face the owners at

the entrance, coolly set to work to pull it to pieces from the

rear. After a few days, the Tong-tails deserted the nest ; and I

doubted not but that the Nonpareils had stolen the eggs. The

female Nonpareil had built her nest within a foot of the path,

and close to the entrance door, and was sitting on three eggs.

I approached the nest with set teeth, and with the unchange¬

able determination of catching her on her nest and transferring

her and her belongings to other quarters ; she took no notice of

me as usual beyond looking up into my face ; but this she did

with a look so full of trust and confidence that I had not the

heart to disturb her, and beat an ignominious retreat.


Once more the Tong-tails set to work on their nest in the

lime tree, and quickly repaired it ; and once more they settled

down, and soon disappeared from public view. But the Non¬

pareils could not tear themselves away from this nest, once

more was the nest deserted, and once more I judged that the

eggs had been stolen. Then I examined the Nonpareils’ eggs,

and, finding them clear, quietty enticed the owners into an

adjoining aviary. The Tong-tails had now commenced a third

nest in some thick Virginia Creeper, so thick that I could not

see more of the nest than the ends of a stray straw here and

there. As in the former cases, the birds commenced by carrying

up a quantity of long straw, and finished with finer material ;

and here the birds settled down ; while I settled down to prepare

an application for the gold medal. Nevertheless, brazen it out

as I would, there was one little rift in the lute which produced

a tiny note of discord and uneasiness in the inner recesses of my

heart. What in the world did the old birds mean by occasionally

returning to their old nest in the lime tree ! ! !


All went liapp3^ as a marriage bell until Sunday, August

Stli. Until that day the storms had spared m3 7 aviar3 7 ; but now

came the rain. I went to Church as usual ; but as the rain

came thundering down on the roof, I fear I thought more of the

nests than of the sermon ;—but trul3 T the sermon was very prosy;

it is an indisputable fact that clergymen do sometimes preach

prosy sermons, and this was one of them. On returning home,

I found what I had feared, the two birds on a perch preening



