NESTLINGS OF FOREST AND MARSH 
study him a little, and then release him 
in time for his Fall migration. But the 
laws of that State protect song-birds even 
from would-be naturalists, I am glad to 
say, and this interesting nestling was left 
with his doting parents. 
These five youngsters were remarkably 
silent from the first, making no protest at 
being caught except by escaping as rapidly 
as possible. And during the weeks that 
followed their debut into the free life of the 
wood, I never heard them utter more than a 
very low chirp when hungry. The entire 
family stayed within fifty yards of their birth- 
place for weeks, and the father never failed 
to request us to Go away, do ! ” in his 
habitual polite manner. 
After a time 1 heard him singing very 
early in the morning, and again just at sun- 
set, but it was not his usual jubilant medley 
of nonsense. Family responsibilities were 
heavy upon him, and the dread of losing any 
one of those five wonderful young thrashers 
made him very wary. He slept each night 
234 
