192 WAKE-EOBIN 



and of those great Western plains ; or, if one goes a 

 little higher up into the mountainous regions of the 

 West, he finds the Arctic bluebird, the ruddy brown 

 on the breast changed to greenish blue, and the 

 wings longer and more pointed; in other respects 

 not differing much from our species. 



The bluebird usually builds its nest in a hole in 

 a stump or stub, or in an old cavity excavated by a 

 woodpecker, when such can be had; but its first 

 impulse seems to be to start in the world in much 

 more style, and the happy pair make a great show 

 of house-hunting about the farm buildings, now half 

 persuaded to appropriate a dove-cote, then discussing 

 in a lively manner a last year's swallow's nest, or 

 proclaiming with much flourish and flutter that they 

 have taken the wren's house, or the tenement of 

 the purple martin; till finally nature becomes too 

 urgent, when all this pretty make-believe ceases, 

 and most of them settle back upon the old family 

 stumps and knotholes in remote fields, and go to 

 work in earnest. 



In such situations the female is easily captured 

 by approaching very stealthily and covering the 

 entrance to the nest. The bird seldom makes any 

 effort to escape, seeing how hopeless the case is, 

 and keeps her place on the nest till she feels your 

 hand closing around her. I have looked down into 

 the cavity and seen the poor thing palpitating with 

 fear and looking up with distended eyes, but never 

 moving till I had withdrawn a few paces ; then she 

 rushes out with a cry that brings the male on the 



