52 A-BIRDING ON A BRONCO. 



me ; so although life and field work are full of dis- 

 appointments, they are also full of compensations. 



Not being able to do anything better with the 

 gnat problems, I guessed at which was which — 

 when I saw No. 2 go to the nest and No. 1 reluc- 

 tantly make way as if not wanting No. 2 to meddle, 

 I drew my own conclusions, although they were 

 not scientifically final. I did see one thing that 

 was satisfactory, as far as it went. One of the 

 birds came with big tufts of stiff moss sticking out 

 from either side of its bill like great mustachios, 

 and going up to the nest, handed them to its mate 

 — actually something big enough for a person to 

 see, once ! Whatever had been the birds' first 

 feeling as to which should put the bricks in the 

 wall, it was all settled now, and the little helpmate 

 flew off singing out such a happy good-by it made 

 one feel like writing a sermon on the moral effect 

 of renunciation. After that I was sure the little 

 helper fed his (?) mate on the nest, again singing 

 out good-by as he flitted away. Once when he (?) 

 brought material he found her (?) busy with what 

 she had, and so went to the other end of the 

 branch, and waited till she was ready for it, when 

 he flew back and gave it to her. 



It was a real delight to watch the little blue- 

 grays at their work. Once as one of them started 

 to fly away — I am sure this was she — she sud- 

 denly stopped to look back at the nest as if to 

 think what she wanted to get next ; or, perhaps, 



