THE BIRDS IN WINTER 



found," you will later rejoice, for with the falling of 

 the leaves many of Nature's secrets, which she has 

 jealously guarded through the summer months, 

 stand revealed. Among the naked branches of the 

 briars you may find the Catbird's nest which defied 

 all search last June. It will be a comfort to learn 

 that the bird really did have a nest just about the 

 place you thought it was located. Many other 

 pleasing surprises await you in the winter woods. 



The Downy' s Winter Quarters. — One late autumn 

 day 1 stopped to watch a J unco feeding among some 

 weed stalks near a hillside trail. After remaining 

 motionless for a minute or two I became conscious of 

 a light muffled tapping somewhere near by. It did 

 not take long to locate the sound. On the underside 

 of a slanting decayed limb, twenty feet above, was a 

 new, well-rounded hole perhaps an inch in diame- 

 ter. Even as 1 looked the occupant came to the en- 

 trance and threw out a billful of small chips. When 

 these fell, I saw that the dead leaves on the earth be- 

 neath had been well sprinkled by previous ejections 

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