NATURE'S CAROL SINGERS. 



mate, with the evident intention of show- 

 ing her that there was no cause for alarm, 

 came along and, alighting right in front 

 of my apparatus, took a leisurely peep 

 inside the nesting hole. As this had no 

 visible effect upon her nerves he went 

 off and secured a fat, green caterpillar, 

 which he would not offer her anywhere, 

 although she shivered her little wings in 

 supplication, excepting on the threshold 

 of their breeding quarters. 



As even this kind of inducement 

 failed, he indignantly gulped down the 

 food, and with a great show of anger, 

 began to chase her round and round, up 

 and down, until at last he forced her in- 

 doors. Later on, this female grew bolder, 

 however, and I succeeded in photograph- 

 ing her on the gnarled trunk of the 

 lightning-blasted tree. 



A precisely similar kind of thing hap- 

 pened at another nest, but in this in- 

 stance the lady was stronger minded, and 

 refused to be bullied into the perform- 

 ance of her duties. 



In this particular wood, which was of 

 no great size, four pairs of these inter- 

 esting birds lived within a few hundred 

 yards of each other. The males ap- 

 peared to spend the day in catching 

 236 



