6 THE KINGBIRD'S NEST. 



again ; and this time he picked at it, and seemed 

 to be changing its interior arrangement, but 

 he carried nothing away when he flew. Even 

 after sitting began, this oriole paid two more 

 visits to the nest which so interested him. On 

 the first occasion, the owner was at home, and 

 gave him instant notice that the place was no 

 longer on view. He retired, but, being no cow- 

 ard, and not choosing to submit to dictation, he 

 came again. This time, a fly-up together, a 

 clinch in the air, with loud and offensive re- 

 marks, cured him of further desire to call. 



More persistent than any yet mentioned was 

 a robin. Heretofore, strange to say, the guests 

 had all been males, but this caller was the mo- 

 ther of a young brood in the next yard. She 

 came in her usual way, alighted on a low branch, 

 ran out upon it, hopped to the next higher, and 

 so proceeded till she reached the nest. The 

 kingbird happened to be near it himself, and 

 drove her away in an indifferent manner, as if 

 this interloper were of small account. The 

 robin went, of course, but returned, and, perch- 

 ing close to the object of interest, leaned over 

 and looked at it as long as she chose, while the 

 owner stood calmly by on a twig and did not in- 

 terfere. I know he was not afraid of the robin, 

 as later events proved ; and it really looked as if 

 the pair deliberately delayed sitting to give the 



