POCKET MAKERS. 105 



top, it was roofed over, and the only entrance was 

 a small round hole, the girth of the bird, about 

 two inches under the roof. 



One might imagine that such big houses would 

 be dark with only one small dormer window, and 

 the valley children assured me that the birds 

 hung living firefly lamps on their walls ! I sug- 

 gested that a Society for the Prevention of Cru- 

 elty to Fireflies would be needed if that were the 

 case ; but when it comes to that, what bird would 

 choose to brood by gaslight? 



When I first saw the bush-tit in its round door- 

 way, it suggested Jack Horner's famous plum, 

 comical little ball of feathers ! When first watch- 

 ing the nest the small pair put me on their list 

 of enemies, along with small boys, blue jays, and 

 owls. To go down into the pocket under my 

 stare seemed a terrible thing. When one of them 

 came with a bit of moss for lining, it started for 

 the front door, saw me, stopped, and turned to 

 go to the back of the nest. Then it tried to get 

 up courage to approach the house from the side, 

 got in a panic and dashed against the wall as if 

 expecting a door would open for it. When at 

 last it did make bold to dart into the nest it was 

 struck with terror, and, whisking around, jabbed 

 the moss into the outside wall and fled ! 



Seeing that nothing awful happened, the birds 

 finally took me off the black list and allowed me 

 to oversee their work, as long as I gave no 



