116 A WIDOW AND TWINS. 
Suddenly she flew at me, and held herself 
at a distance of perhaps four feet from my 
nose. Then she wheeled, and, as I thought, 
darted out of the orchard. Ina few seconds 
I turned my head, and there she sat in the 
nest! J owned myself beaten. While I had 
been gazing toward the meadow, she had 
probably done exactly what I had wasted 
the better part of the afternoon in attempt- 
ing to see. 
Twenty-four hours later I was more suc- 
cessful, though the same ruse was again 
tried upon me. The mother left the nest 
at my approach, but in three minutes (by 
the watch) flew in again. She brooded for 
nine minutes. Then, quite of her own mo- 
tion, she disappeared for six minutes. On 
her return she spent four minutes in dress- 
ing her feathers, after which she alighted on 
the edge of the nest, fed the little ones, and 
took her place upon them. This time she 
brooded for ten minutes. Then she was 
away for six minutes, dallied about the tree 
for two minutes longer, and again flew into 
the nest. While sitting, she pecked several 
times in quick succession at a twig within 
reach, and I could plainly see her mandibles 
