146 THE MALE RUBY-THROAT. 



five minutes together! What was he doing? 

 At first, in spite of his sex, it was hard not 

 to believe that his nest was in the tree ; and 

 to satisfy himself, my companion "shinned " 

 it, schoolboy fashion, a frightful piece of 

 work, which put me out of breath even to 

 look at it, while I surveyed the branches 

 from all sides through an opera-glass. All 

 was without avail. Nothing was to be seen, 

 and it was as good as certain, the branches 

 being well separated and easily overlooked, 

 that there was nothing there. 



Four days later I set out alone, to try 

 my luck with the riddle. As I entered the 

 clearing, the hummer was seen at his post, 

 and my suspicions fastened upon a small 

 wild apple-tree, perhaps twenty rods distant. 

 I went to examine it, and presently the bird 

 followed me. He perched in its top, but 

 seemed not to be jealous of my proximity, 

 and soon returned to his customary position ; 

 but when I came back to the apple-tree, 

 after a visit to a clump of oaks at the top 

 of the hill, he again came over. I could 

 find no sign of a nest, however, nor did the 

 female show herself, as she pretty confidently 

 might have been expected to do had her nest 



