HOME BIRDS 33 



Even White-breast's best friend would not call 

 him a musician. His song suggests a kind of mirth- 

 less laughter: "hah-hah-hah-hah-hah," he sings all 

 on one note. Heard in May when the air resounds 

 with the melodies of Thrushes and Grosbeaks, and 

 Thrasher's far-flung measures, the humble effort of 

 White-breast would pass unnoticed. But heard in 

 early spring when every sign of the coming of sum- 

 mer is eagerly welcomed, White-breast's monotone 

 echoes pleasantly through the leafless woods. 



White-breast is among the earliest of small birds 

 to nest. In the first half of April he and his mate 

 find or make a hole in a tree or stump, and line it 

 with feathers, leaves, and fur. Five to eight eggs 

 are laid; they are creamy white, thickly and rather 

 evenly spotted and speckled with reddish brown and 

 purplish. In color the eggs of both White-breast 

 and his friend Chickadee are an exception to the rule 

 that birds which nest in holes and similar places lay 

 white, unmarked eggs. 



The young White-breasts, like young Chicka- 

 dees, wear a suit resembling that of their parents 

 when they leave the nest. They do not at once ven- 

 ture forth into the world alone, but remain under 

 the guidance of their elders until they have learned 

 to care for themselves. During this time, and 

 perhaps longer, they may return every night to 



