A Vireo as Hostess 



259 



the nest, and as I sometimes used a mirror as well, the light at times must 

 have been very dazzling. She would stand it a little while and then she would 

 abruptly turn her back to the light and to the camera as much as to say "Now 

 you may go ahead and do anything you like." 



One hot day while I was photographing it was plain to see that she was 

 feeling the heat very much and she sat with her bill parted as birds often do 

 in warm weather. I sent a friend to a nearby bird-bath for water and offered 

 her some in a spoon. She sipped it readily, and when she had had all she wanted 

 she became very much interested in the shining spoon. She pecked at it, then 

 turned it over and spilled the remaining water onto the ground, peering curi- 

 ously over the edge of the nest as if to see where it fell. Then while I held the 

 handle of the spoon, she took hold of the bowl of it with her bill, slid backward 

 off the nest onto the branch which held it and deliberately played tug-of-war 

 with me. Finally she became so excited that still holding onto her end of the 

 spoon, she flew into the air and would doubtless have carried off the shining 

 prize if she had been strong enough. 



These pleasant experiences continued for several days, and I was looking 

 forward eagerly to the time when Madame would introduce me to her babies. 

 But, alas, one morning when we reached the nest we found it torn and 

 deserted. Only one egg remained and next day this one too had disappeared. 

 Probably it was the work of a Blue Jay or a Crow, a sad termination of a 

 delightful friendship. 



I OFFERED HER SOME WATER IN A SPOON 



