THE LEAST BITTERN 45 
After circling about us several times she climbed 
to her nest, and at once proceeded to investigate the 
condition of its contents. Soon she gave evidence of 
the possession of both a philosophic and economic 
disposition, not to mention other housewifely quali- 
ties, notably cleanliness. Philosophy she exhibited 
by making the best of things as she found them; 
economy by carefully eating*® the two broken eggs, 
which a more thoughtless bird would have deserted 
or quickly discarded; and cleanliness by carefully 
dropping over the edge of the nest the shells remain- 
ing from her peculiar feast, and following them by 
bits of nest hning which had been soiled by portions 
of the egg. This task accomplished to her satisfac- 
tion, she gave further evidence of the possession of 
a well-ordered mind by descending to the water, 
washing her bill, drinking, and then returning to 
her remaining three eggs, on which she settled 
herself *7 as complacently as though she had met 
with no loss, and there we left her in well-deserved 
privacy. 
