208 A-BIRDING ON A BRONCO. 



ing done by their mates. Indeed, at one nest, I 

 saw nothing to make me suspect that the female 

 did any of the work. Her coming was usually 

 welcomed by a joyous song, but once the evidence 

 seemed to prove that she was driven away ; per- 

 haps she was too free with her criticisms! In 

 another case the work was sadly interrupted by 

 the presence of the visitor, for while she sat in 

 the nest her excited mate flew back and forth as 

 if he had quite forgotten the business in hand. 

 Perhaps he was nervous, and wanted to make sure 

 what she was doing in the new house! 



In several instances I found that while the 

 males were at work building, the females went 

 off by themselves. Once I saw Madame Phaino- 

 pepla bring her friend home with her. No sooner 

 had the visitor lit than — shocking to relate — 

 the lord of the house left his work and drove her 

 off with bill and claw — a polite way to treat his 

 lady's friends, surely ! On one occasion, when 

 I looked up I saw a procession passing overhead 

 — two females followed by a male. The male 

 flew hesitatingly, as if troubled by his conscience, 

 and then, deciding that if the nest was ever going 

 to be built he had better keep at it, turned around 

 :iiid came back to work. One day when I rode 

 over to the chaparral island, I found two of the 

 males sitting around in the brush. They played 

 tag until tired, and then perched on a branch in 

 the sun, side by side, evidently enjoying them- 



