70 HOME STUDIES IN NATURE. 



for when the fair partner arrived she was obliged to 

 lay down her stick and try to arrange his in some sort 

 of shape ; failing in this, down it went to the ground, 

 when, turning to her own, she soon arranged it to her 

 satisfaction. 



Several times the mate attempted to shirk, flew to a 

 tree and commenced his song; but this the energetic 

 housewife would not allow : she always brought him 

 back and set him to work, even if he did hinder more 

 than help. His partner was probably an experienced 

 architectress, and he may have been an apprentice, for 

 certainly some of the males of this species seem to be 

 as good architects as the females. 



The nest was completed during the day, and on the 

 following morning an egg was left in it. The mate, 

 now relieved from work, resumed his joyous song ; but 

 he always ceased the moment I entered the shrubbery, 

 and gave a quick note of alarm, when she would fly 

 from the nest. In a few days she became so tame 

 that she would allow me to cut roses from the bush 

 without leaving her place. Of course, great care was 

 necessary ; I always drew my hat down so that she 

 could not catch my eye, and apparently paid no atten- 

 tion to her. 



A few years ago I was acquainted with a pair of 

 brown thrushes much more thriftless than the pair 

 above mentioned, who did not even attempt to build a 

 domicile in the usual way, but simply scratched up a 

 kind of nest on the ground, in a strawberry bed, much 



