BIRDS —NESTS 119 
able. If watched too narrowly, she saluted with 
her usual scolding, tshrr, tshrr, tshrr, seeing no 
reason, probably, why she should be interrupted in 
her indispensable occupation. 
“Though the males were now comparatively silent 
on the arrival of their busy mates, I could not help 
observing this female and a second, continually 
vociferating, apparently in strife. At last she was 
observed to attack this second female very fiercely, 
who slyly intruded herself at times into the same 
tree where she was building. These contests were 
angry and often repeated. To account for this ani- 
mosity, I now recollected that two fine males had 
been killed in our vicinity, and I therefore con- 
cluded the intruder to be left without a mate; yet 
she had gained the affections of the consort of the 
busy female, and thus the cause of their jealous 
quarrel became apparent. Having obtained the con- 
fidence of her faithless paramour, the second female 
began preparing to weave a nest in an adjoining 
elm by tying together certain pendent twigs as a 
foundation. The male now associated chiefly with 
the intruder, whom he even assisted in her labor, 
yet did not wholly forget his first partner, who called 
on him one evening in a low, affectionate tone, 
which was answered in the same strain. While 
they were thus engaged in friendly whispers, sud- 
denly appeared the rival, and a violent recontre 
ensued, so that one of the females appeared to be 
greatly agitated, and fluttered with spreading wings 
as if considerably hurt. The male, though prudently 
