3 6 o



Rev. C. D. Farrar,



The nest was finished in about three days, and the eggs

deposited duly. I should like just to have taken a ‘ pep ’ as we

say up here, but at the imminent risk of something inside giving

way first, I restrained myself, and was rewarded later on, as you

shall hear in due course.


Every morning when I entered the aviary I used to send

search lights of scrutiny around, and was always thankful to see

the little hen on her nest, with her tail in the air, and her soft

black eye fixed on me, as much as to say “ All’s well, we are

going to pull it off” ; and behaving as if I was of no more

interest to her than Alexander was to Diogenes. At the end of

twelve days I fancied I saw the hen slowly and cautiously lift

herself up in the nest and wriggle, as though engaged in feeding

something. I hoped hard, but still I feared it might only be my

fancy or strongly imaginative powers, especially as I never saw

the cock go near the nest. Day after day I watched closely, and

felt more and more sure that the same stealthy motions were

repeated; and after a time I was almost sure I could hear the

unmistakable sound of very young voices. Then one day I

saw the hen on the edge of the nest, and stooping down to

something within ; and then I felt sure that the eggs had

hatched, and that there were babies aboard. Now, I knew, that

my troubles would begin. It is comparatively easy to get a nest

built, a good deal more difficult to get eggs laid, harder still to

get them hatched, but hardest of all to get the babies reared.

There are so many slips between that cup and that lip ! I speak

with feeling. I had left some ants’ eggs in the saucer for the

insectivorous birds, and one day I caught Mrs. White-throat

on the saucer, busily stowing away eggs. Her mouth was full,

away she flew to the nest, and I heard cpiite plainly the sound of

youthful voices ‘asking for more.’ Clearly White - throated

Finches, like Nonpareils and Indigo-birds, are insectivorous as

far as rearing their young is concerned. I knew from past

experience what that meant, and prepared myself for ‘ the easy

grace that makes a joke of toil.’ I realized that for a few weeks

I should require no more exercise than they could give me. The

worst of it was that being late in the season, and very wet, the

ants, those uncanny beasts, had almost ceased to lay. I wrote



