150 Bird-Lore
and never fails to respond. Other Goldfinches flew by in song, calling and singing, but only one appealed to her.
"August 25 was a redeletter day in Goldfinch annals; then, and only then, I saw the male on the nest fed by his mate. The male then shares incubation? He certainly gave it a trial, but, so far as my ob- servation goes. found it too confining to be repeated.
"August 29. ‘Out today,’ as the newsboy criesfi-the female’s eleva- tion on the nest determined that. Her eagerness now overcame caution, and she flew straight to the nest instead of in round-about course, Both parents fed the young.
“August 30. In a single trip the male Goldfinch brought forty mor— sels to the family, his mate eager to get her ‘thirds,’ but as soon as he had gone she slipped off the nest and fed the young. This method was pursued for three days.
“Sept. 1, The female very active at the nest making toilets of young, reassuring them with tender syllables when a red squirrel ran up the tree with alarming sounds. I saw three open mouths. The brooding bird went for food and returned stealthin to the nest. The male came once, but brought nothing, and henceforth was an idle partner.
"Sept. 6. Young birds, having found their voices. announced meal- time with joyous twitter, They were fed, on an average, once in forty- five minutes, and were now forming cleanly habits, like young Swallows, voiding excrement over the rim of the nest.
“Sept. 8. The old bird no longer perching at the nest to feed her young, but on the branch. to lure them from their cradle. They shook their wings vigorously and preened their tiny feathers.
"Sept. 10. Young Finches ventured to the edge of the nest and peered curiously into the unknown,
"Sept. II. An empty nest.”
