BIRDS ABOUT THE HOUSE. 109 



acter. It is just possible that he had found a re- 

 treat that was out of the reach of danger, where his 

 manners and attire may have answered to Mr. 

 Aldrich's description: 



" Firm-seated on his green bough, prancing high, 

 Gay in his top-boots, reaching to the knee, 



And his fresh uniform's resplendent dye — 

 My jaunty colonel of artillery ! " 



If so, he did not display a very Soldier-like spirit 

 in leaving his spouse to brave all the dangers that 

 beset robindom in brood-rearing time. 



The mother bird had her hands full, so to speak. 

 It taxed her energies to the utmost to keep the 

 nestlings warm and supplied with food during the 

 cold, raw days of early spring. In fact she had to 

 be on the jump almost all the time. After bring- 

 ing them what she regarded an ample meal of 

 worms or insects, she would settle down comfort- 

 ably on the nest for a little rest from her toil ; but 

 in a few minutes one of the children would set up 

 a cry for more rations, and the faithful mother 

 would dart off to the neighboring garden or field 

 for a new supply. 



Knowing she had an irksome task before her, we 

 decided to help her, by digging angle-worms in the 



