. Nestlings of forest and marsh . oles decided that if the nest weremade extra deep and very small at the top,it would be comparatively safe even in anoak. Next in order was to win his sweet-heart to his way of thinking. It was hisfirst courting, I am sure, for never did suchardor pour from a birds throat. The course of true love never does runsmooth, however, and his wooing was noexception. In spite of fine feathers andfine song, the lady of his choice was hardto please, and for more than two weeks hewas untiring in his attentions before shefinally consented to commence man
. Nestlings of forest and marsh . oles decided that if the nest weremade extra deep and very small at the top,it would be comparatively safe even in anoak. Next in order was to win his sweet-heart to his way of thinking. It was hisfirst courting, I am sure, for never did suchardor pour from a birds throat. The course of true love never does runsmooth, however, and his wooing was noexception. In spite of fine feathers andfine song, the lady of his choice was hardto please, and for more than two weeks hewas untiring in his attentions before shefinally consented to commence many visits and much talking it over,he appeared one day with a long strip ofhoneysuckle bark, and in some way coaxedit to stay wound around the twig, one endhanging down straight. After that he cameconstantly with silvery bits of plant fibre, THE HOUSE BEAUTIFUL which his mate wove busily back and forth,until by magic the exquisite nest took, saw him pull and tug at the dead weed-stalks, coming back to the same plant again. The beautiful and the grotesque and again for more. Clover stems con-tribute their share of silk also. Althoughthere were many feathers on the ground,he never touched them, and string was alsoscornfully rejected. One whole afternoonhe spent gathering dandelion silk by jump-ing on the tall stems and walking alonguntil his weight brought the heads to the NESTLINGS OF FOREST AND MARSH ground, where he seemed to thrash theseeds out and carry away the silk in of all was it to watch him tug ata long horse hair that had become fastenedin the bark of a tree. Bracing himself onthe side of the trunk, woodpecker fashion,scolding all the time, and finally swingingoff and around in the arc of a circle in hisefforts to loosen it, he would not give it times he withdrew, tired out, only torenew the attack as soon as he had caughthis breath again. No other hair would do,and there was general rejoicing when he atlast flew away with it. This
Size: 1801px × 1387px
Photo credit: © Reading Room 2020 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectbirds, bookyear1902
