EL CAPELAN 
wings. The two left in the nest were 
cuddled down, with no thought of flying, 
and I fancied they might not leave for an- 
other day. But “El Capitan” was a wise 
father, and by afternoon had taken his five 
little folks from the dangers of the water’s 
edge to an orchard not far away. Here 
they lived day after day, a curious anomaly 
in blackbird life, picking up bugs from the 
ground and roosting at night in the trees. 
It is a statement which may occasion surprise 
that those small blackbirds tried to sing 
before July was over. To be sure, it was a 
weak quavering little song, but evidently a 
direct attempt to imitate the father’s “ Kon- 
karee.” ‘‘E] Capitan” showed a ludicrous 
pride in this performance, and the very last 
glimpse I had of him he was sitting on a 
fence wire listening to the efforts of an am- 
bitious youngster who was balancing upon a 
weed stalk below. 
51 
