I06 WOOD NOTES AND NEST HUNTING. 



precisely like the note of the hair bird, but does 

 not manifest any extraordinary signs of distress. 

 She remains at her post of trust till the last second, 

 and then eyes me keenly from one of the branches 

 above, as if she had the conscious power to pre- 

 vent me from stealing away her home. It is a 

 deep cavity, upholstered with fine grasses and a 

 few horse-hairs, on which rest already two tiny 

 eggs, the ends of which are very unequal, tapering 

 quite acutely from the larger part. The ground 

 color is white, blotched with reddish brown, as if 

 the bird had rubbed on them some of the coloring 

 of her breast. I dare not breathe on the sacred 

 things lest the parent consider them poluted, and 

 forsake the dearest spot to her on earth. No fear 

 of her! Sensible to the last, she seems to have 

 comprehended the object of my visit, for hardly 

 have I withdrawn a reasonable distance when she 

 again flies to her nest, and with a cant of her head, 

 as she stands on the edge, says : " There, you big 

 fellow, I trust you are satisfied with your investi- 

 gations. Now leave me to finish my work in 

 peace." 



In this thick clump of high blueberry bushes, 

 interlaced and overgrown with greenbriers. Madam 

 Cat-bird has improvidently made her home. While 



