than It ever is by day* I must confess that I could not 
understand why they made the mmbling sound so much after 
they had settled themselves in the nest, since it is not 
likely that they were moving atx>ut the chimney in the dartei* 
ness, but I finally concluded that one or the other was 
every now and then crowded off the neat and f :!roed to use 
its vdngs, either to maintain or regain Its position. They 
voided their excrement frequently at night. It was profuse 
In quantity and of the color and consistency of creaia# 
On the morning of the 9th, I saw one of the birds, 
presumably the female, work for several minutes on the nest. 
Clinging to its outer edge with her neck elongated to a 
sijirprlslrM? length, she rubbed her half-opened bill over 
the the ends and surfaces of the twigs, evidently coating 
them with her varnish which I could distinctly see glistening 
In the rather strong light that entered the chimney from 
above. This was the only occasion during the week when either 
Gilbert or I saw her do anything to the nest* Certainly 
no sticks were added to it during our stay, for the raeshes 
of the slight framework were as open and numerous when 
v»e left the cabin on the morning of the 15th as when we 
rmched it on the forenoon of the 8 th, 
8 oth'Gr 7 ift 0 when In the chimney spent nruoh of 
their time preening their feathers in the manner of other 
birds. They also frequently used one foot to scratch 
their heads while the other was employed to retain their 
hold on the nest or the wall of the <iiimney. They 
