BIRDS OF THE UNITED STATES. 
129 
acquired new zest. The collection of food, and its application to the wants 
of the body, exercise supreme control, all other considerations being swal- 
lowed uj) thereby. But this cannot last long.' Satiety, like pleasure, soon 
o’erdoes itself, and reason comes to the rescue. 
A few weeks of such a life are enough. Grown weary of its monot- 
ony, and surfeited with delights, the flocks now dissolve into pairs. All 
is now a scene of hustle and activity. Actuated by amatory influences, 
the males seek themselves partners, and matrimonial relations are assumed. 
There is good reason to believe that mating happens early during some 
seasons. Dr. Cooper mentions the flnding of a nest on the first of March, 
which would lead us to infer that it had occurred during the preceding 
month. Finished structures in our collection from Santa Paula, California, 
which were discovered by Prof. B. W. Evermann, bear the respective 
dates of April 14 and 17. Making allowances for building, it is probable 
that the sexes do not pair until the middle or the last of March. Of the 
precise time we are left in darkness. Nor are we the wiser about the 
general behavior of the birds, much less those pleasing little episodes of 
bird-life which are then called. into existence. 
Having mated, the happy couple start off together in quest of a suit- 
able bush or tree in which to build. The live oak, the willow, occasion- 
ally the mistletoe, and perhaps others, are selected. These structures are 
sometimes suspended from a forked twig, hut more generally from a single 
branch. A remarkable peculiarity about their building is the elevation at 
which their dwellings are placed. The height varies from four to eight 
feet, and we cannot find that the latter distance has been exceeded. 
Few nests, if any, surpass in beauty and comfort the nest of this 
species. It is the most artistic of all pensile structures, and resembles an 
old-fashioned silken purse. In form, texture and finish it is a perfect 
model of architectural design and skill. IVhen we consider its size, the 
durability and smoothness of its outside periphery, and coziness of interior, 
we are lost in wonder and admiration. IVhat ingenuity and perseverance 
