THE CAVE-DWELLING FAMILY 39 
one small catbird’s stomach by the Department 
of Agriculture. 
A story showing how much the catbird knows 
and understands is of one in Iowa who had a 
nest in some vines over a porch. A tornado tore 
the vines so as to uncover the nest, and the lady 
of the house feared some one would disturb it. 
So she began to draw the vines together around it 
to hide it. While she was doing this, one of the 
old birds came and began to shriek, and ery, and 
fly round her head, threatening to dash at her eyes. 
The mate came too, and acted in the same way, 
supposing, no doubt, that she was doing some 
harm to their nest. She shielded her head and 
finished the work, and went into the house. 
The next morning she was sitting on the bal- 
cony the other side of the house. All at once 
a catbird flew down and perched on the railing 
within six feet of her, which no catbird had ever 
done before. She kept still, and he began jerk- 
ing his body and uttering sweet little calls and 
twitters, turning his head this side and that, with 
eyes fixed on her. He acted exactly as if he were 
talking to her, and after a while he broke out 
with a song, low and very sweet. She sat still, 
and after the song he began his twittering again, 
then sang once more. She had never heard 
anything so beautiful, and she was sure that he 
