THE BIRD STUDY BOOK 



matter is that not much is known about the subject. 

 Apparently a great many birds return to the same 

 yard and even to the same tree to build their nest 

 year after year. I say apparently because such birds 

 are seldom marked in such a way as to enable one 

 to be positive that they are the identical individuals 

 which came the year before. It is probably some- 

 where near the truth to say that most small birds 

 usually choose the same mates year after year if 

 both survive the dangers of winter and in spring 

 meet again on their old trysting grounds. It is 

 safe to assert that as a rule birds retain the same inates 

 throughout the breeding season if misfortune does 

 not befall one of them. During the fall and winter 

 months, when the impulses governing domestic 

 duties are dormant, birds pay little or no attention 

 to their mates. 



A Much-married Bluebird. — One spring a pair of 

 Bluebirds came into our yard, and to the accom- 

 paniment of much cheerful bird conversation, in 

 the form of whistles, twitters, chirps, and snatches of 

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