192 A-BIRDING ON A BRONCO. 



judged, she forgot all else when real danger 

 threatened the child. Having come to my deci- 

 sion from circumstantial evidence, I remembered 

 with a start that I had known it all the time, 

 from the wing-bars and the call note ! Never- 

 theless, my riddle was only half solved, for how 

 about the wren-tit ? 



A young bird called from the sycamore at the 

 corner of the adobe, and when both old birds flew 

 over to it, I thought I 'd better follow. I got 

 there just in time to see a little bird light in the 

 elbow of a limb, totter as if going to fall, and save 

 itself by snuggling up in the elbow, where it sat 

 in the sun looking very cozy and comfortable — 

 winning: little tot. The mother lazuli started to 

 come to it, but seeing me flew away to another 

 branch, where, well screened, she stretched up on 

 her toes to look at me over the top of a big syca- 

 more leaf. Though the fledgling called, the 

 mother left without going to it. 



The wren-tit had stayed behind at the well; but 

 while the lazuli was gone, who should come flying 

 in but the foster mother ! I was astonished. 

 Moreover, the instant the youngster set eyes on 

 her, it started up and flew to her — actually flew 

 into her in its hurry. She admonished it gently, 

 in a soft chattering voice, for she could not scold it. 



When the lazuli came back with food, it was 

 only to see her little bird flying off to the other 

 side of the tree after the wren-tit ! I thought she 



