11G A WIDOW AND TWINS. 



Suddenly she flew at me, and held herself 

 at a distance of perhaps four feet from my 

 nose. Then she wheeled, and, as I thought, 

 darted out of the orchard. In a few seconds 

 I turned my head, and there she sat in the 

 nest ! I owned myself beaten. While I had 

 been gazing toward the meadow, she had 

 probably done exactly what I had wasted 

 the better part of the afternoon in attempt- 

 ing to see. 



Twenty -four hours later I was more suc- 

 cessful, though the same ruse was again 

 tried upon me. The mother left the nest 

 at my approach, but in three minutes (by 

 the watch) flew in again. She brooded for 

 nine minutes. Then, quite of her own mo- 

 tion, she disappeared for six minutes. On 

 her return she spent four minutes in dress- 

 ing her feathers, after which she alighted on 

 the edge of the nest, fed the little ones, and 

 took her place upon them. This time she 

 brooded for ten minutes. Then she was 

 away for six minutes, dallied about the tree 

 for two minutes longer, and again flew into 

 the nest. While sitting, she pecked several 

 times in quick succession at a twig within 

 reach, and I could plainly see her mandibles 



