106 A-BIRDING ON A BRONCO. 



directions. Sometimes both little tots went down 

 into the bag to work together ; surely there was 

 plenty of room for many such as they. But it 

 is not always a matter of cubic inches, and one 

 morning when the second bird was about to pop 

 in, apparently it was advised to wait a minute. 

 There was no ill feeling, though, for when the 

 small builder came out it flew to the twig in 

 front of the door, where its mate was waiting, 

 and sat down beside it, a little Darby by his 

 Joan. 



They worked busily. Sometimes they popped 

 in only to pop out again ; at other times they 

 stayed inside as long as if they had been human 

 housekeepers, hanging pictures, straightening 

 chairs, and setting their bric-a-brac in order for 

 the fortieth time ; each change requiring mature 

 deliberation. 



One morning — after the birds had been put- 

 ting in lining long enough to have wadded half a 

 dozen nests — if my judgment is of any value in 

 such matters — I discovered that the roof was 

 falling in ; it was almost on top of the front door ! 

 The next day, to my dismay, the door had van- 

 ished. What was the trouble ? Were the pretty 

 pair young builders ; was this their first nest, and 

 had they paid more attention to decorating their 

 house inside than to laying strong foundations ; 

 or had their pocket been too heavy for its frame ? 



However it came about, the wise birds con- 



