58 A-BIRDING ON A BRONCO. 



nail, and when lie hid under the leaves where they 

 could not reach him they fluttered above the 

 leaves, and the moment he ventured from under 

 cover were both at him again so violently that at 

 the first opportunity he took to his wings. There 

 was one curious thing about this attack and ex- 

 pulsion ; the gnats did not utter a word during 

 the whole affair ! I had never known them to be 

 silent before when anything was going on — rarely 

 when there wasn't. 



Another morning when I rode in there was a 

 great commotion up in the oak. A chorus of 

 small scolding voices, and a fluttering of little 

 wings among the branches told that something 

 was wrong, while a large form moving deliber- 

 ately about in the tree showed the intruder to be 

 a blue jay ! Aha ! the gossii)s would wag their 

 heads. I disapprove of gossip, but as a truthful 

 reporter am obliged to say that I saw the blue jay 

 pitch down into the brush with something white 

 in his bill — perhaps a cocoon — and that there- 

 upon a great weeping and wailing arose from 

 the little folk up in the treetop. A big brown 

 California chewink stood by and watched the — 

 robbery (?), great big fellow that he was ; and 

 not once offered to take the little fellows' part. 

 I felt indignant. Why didn't he pitch into the 

 big bully and drive him off before he had stolen 

 the little birds' egg — if it was an egg. A 

 grosbeak called ick' from the treetop, but 



