172 BIRDS ABOUT THE HOUSE. 



neighbor's mail-box for a nesting-place. There is 

 a sash in the cloo]-, through which the birds could 

 see the spacious and pleasant room within — just 

 the place for a house in which to live comfortably 

 and rear a brood. But, much to their surprise, 

 every time they flew down, expecting to gain ad- 

 mittance, that deceptive strip of glass intercepted 

 them. Day after day they tried to solve the prob- 

 lem of getting into the inclosure, but were foiled 

 in all their efforts. Finally, at . my request, my 

 neighbor put up a box on a pole near by. We 

 thought the birds would like that as well as their 

 first choice ; but it was, I think, fully two weeks be- 

 fore they deigned even to look at the substitute we 

 had provided, and even after they had begun to build 

 in it, they often flew down to the box which they had 

 first selected, and tried to effect an entrance. 



At last, however, the nest was complete, the 

 eggs laid, and in two weeks the young birds were 

 hatched. Then another disaster occurred. A 

 small boy took it into his head one day to frighten 

 the parent birds l)y shaking the box, and actually 

 kept on with his thoughtless sport until he had 

 jarred every nestling to the ground. This was 

 done in my absence, and when I came home one 

 little bird was dead. With a good deal of effort I 



