216 THE BLUEBIRD. 



The western bluebird is considered a distinct spe- 

 cies, and is perhaps a little more brilliant and showy 

 than its Eastern brother ; and Nuttall thinks its 

 song is more varied, sweet, and tender. Its color 

 approaches to ultramarine, while it has a sash oi 

 chestnut-red across its shoulders, — all the effects, I 

 expect, of that wonderful air and sky of California, 

 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 dif- 

 fering 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 im- 

 pulse 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-cot, 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 mar- 

 tin ; till finally nature becomes too urgent, when all 

 this pretty make-believe ceases, and most of them 

 «ettle back upon the old family stumps and kno^ 

 holes 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 

 U> the nest. The bird seldom makes any effort tc 



