NESTLINGS OF FOREST AND MARSH 
considered, and had this been chosen our his- 
tory might never have been written. Both 
birds seemed to examine every available place 
there, and so pleased were they with one 
deserted wood- 
pecker’s home, I 
began to fear they 
had decided upon it. 
“ She who hesitates 
is lost,” and while 
Madam was still 
looking at empty 
houses this one was 
preempted by nut- 
hatches. When 
next she approached 
it in blind confi- 
dence with mouth 
full of grass, a storm of nasal “ Non, non,” 
“ Non, non,” greeted her. Nuthatch French 
was convincing, and beyond a feeble protest 
she made no attempt to dispute their estab- 
lished claim. A site was finally chosen, 
after much anxious consultation and fre- 
30 
