BIRDS OF FLORIDA. 45 



changed the location several times, and he had quietly 

 submitted ; but now he seemed to be reasoning with 

 her, and was determined not to yield to this new whim 

 of hers, and she was as fully bent on having her way. 

 He continued work where they had commenced, and 

 she persistently went on in the other corner. Occasion- 

 ally he prevailed upon her to come and inspect his 

 work, and with heads close together they would chatter 

 over it. Then he would drop down upon the railing 

 of the piazza, and throw up his head and express his 

 delight in rapturous song. But it was no use ; he could 

 not win her back, neither could she prevail upon him 

 to assist her in the other corner ; they would meet upon 

 the ground and chatter over the moss, and then fly with 

 it to their respective corners, looking askance at each 

 other. 



The female worked very diligently for more than a 

 week, while the male, with less to do, devoted half his 

 time to song and vain attempts to lure her back. It 

 was May when they finished building, and now the 

 male, fairly beaten, yielded gracefully. He accompa- 

 nied her to her cosy nest, and lovingly chattered over 

 the pearly treasure deposited there ; he seemed to for- 

 give her then and there, and no longer visited the oth- 

 er nest, and henceforth was a most devoted partner. 



"While the little proprietors were away I took occasion 

 to examine their work. I found both corners filled in 

 with a large quantity of material, and in one side of 

 this abundant mass was the soft symmetrical nest. The 



