DEMANDING MEALWORMS. 107 



awakened his mate. She endured it for about 

 five seconds, and then she suddenly stretched 

 the wing nearest him so far that he was obliged 

 to move away, when she instantly hopped down 

 herself. 



The two bluebirds differed in intelligence. 

 The female was quicker to take an idea, but 

 the male sooner conquered his fear. The first 

 time I offered mealworms to them she was so 

 lively as to secure more than her share ; but 

 he learned in a day or two that worms were to 

 be had outside, especially on my desk, when he 

 at once flew over to me and demanded them, in 

 the funniest little defiant way, looking at me 

 most significantly, and wiping his bill ostenta- 

 tiously, then jerking himself with great show 

 of impatience. Words could not be plainer. 

 Neither of them had difficulty in telling me 

 their food-dish was empty ; they stood on the 

 edge and looked at me, then scraped the bill 

 several times, making much noise about it, then 

 looked at me again. I knew in a moment, the 

 first time, what they wanted. When the male 

 found out that another bird alighted on a stick 

 I held out to him, and was carried off upon it, 

 he seemed to be seized with curiosity, and the 

 next time I offered it he jumped upon it be- 

 side the other, and allowed himself to be lifted 

 to the desk. At one time, in flying around, he 



