and it was most interesting to observe 

 their movements. While the female did 

 the nest-building the male rendered good 

 service by keeping guard, often sitting 

 on the perch at the entrance, but always 

 staying in the near vicinity to see that 

 the sparrows or other enemies did not in 

 terfere with the progress of the nest- 

 making. In three or four days the nest 

 was completed, and a couple of days 

 later Mrs. Bluebird began laying her 

 eggs. In all, five eggs, in size about half 

 way between a wren's and a robin's, al 

 though a little longer in proportion to the 

 breadth than either of these, were depos 

 ited in the nest. The eggs, in color, 

 through observation at a little distance, 

 appeared to us to be of a faint green 

 tinge, although others describe them as 

 pale blue. We leave this an open ques 

 tion, however, until after closer investi 

 gation. 



After fourteen or fifteen days brood 

 ing, during which if the female left the 

 nest for a brief period the male took her 

 place on the eggs, four wee birdlings had 

 come out from their little shell prisons 

 into free air and light, and two proud 

 parent birds began the earnest task of 

 providing food for four ever hungry 

 mouths. In another fourteen days the 

 young had become full fledged and were 

 ready to go out into the world and be in 

 troduced into society. And now the male 

 became exceedingly solicitous about his 

 children. He did not want anybody pry 

 ing around and showing too much con 

 cern in their affairs. It happened that 

 departure from the nest was to be taken 

 on Decoration Day. We were not aware 

 of the family secret, and according to 

 custom put out the stars and stripes to 

 the breeze, adjusting the flag, as usual, 

 to the corner of the veranda near which 

 their box had been placed. While we 

 were putting -the flagstaff in place the 

 male bird showed his disapproval by fly 

 ing angrily at us, snapping his beak with 

 a click like that of steel pincers. He con 

 tinued to fight the flag in the same man 

 ner, and so disturbed was he that we 

 thought best to move it to another posi 

 tion. 



In view of all that has been written 

 regarding the disposition of most male 



birds to shirk domestic responsibilities 

 we wish to say of the male Bluebird that 

 he acts a very commendable part. He 

 frequently carried food to his mate dur 

 ing the brooding period, and afterward 

 aided in the care of the young. It is 

 true he was not as active as the female 

 in providing for the hungry mouths, but 

 he had other important duties to per 

 form. As we have already intimated he 

 is a faithful and courageous guardian. 

 He does not go far away from the nest, 

 and if occasion takes him out of sight 

 of it he hastens back in a very short time 

 to see that nothing happens to disturb 

 the quiet tenor of the home life. We 

 feel quite sure that his mate's conscious 

 ness of his nearness, of which she is ap 

 prised, when she can not see him, by an 

 occasional sweet warble, is more gratify- 

 to her than might be any increased desire 

 upon his part to relieve her of home 

 duties. Relative of his attentiveness to 

 his mate Audubon declared him to be "as 

 tender and affectionate as the dove." In 

 defense of his home he does not hesitate 

 to attack any creature that may threaten 

 the safety of the family. He has an es 

 pecial grudge against the red-headed 

 woodpecker. If Mr. Redhead presumed 

 to alight upon the top of the house or 

 upon a tree in the near neighborhood 

 Mr. Bluebird soon spied him and set 

 about to rout him. It was amusing to 

 see Redhead dodge around the tree trunk 

 in his efforts to escape Bluebird's blows, 

 but it would not be long before he was 

 compelled to betake himself to more re 

 mote quarters. Although quite a sturdy 

 fighter the Bluebird is not quarrelsome. 

 He fights for the protection of his home 

 and family, but for this we do not find 

 it in our heart to blame him. 



When the first brood had left the nest 

 the sparrows made it an opportunity to 

 try to get in some earnest work, and be 

 gan carrying straws and feathers into the 

 box preparatory to raising a family 

 themselves. We tried to keep the box 

 clear of their rubbish, but it must have 

 been the finding of some of their mate 

 rials in the old nest which caused the 

 Bluebirds, when ready to take up the task 

 of rearing a second brood, to come again 

 to the mail-box and show evident inten- 



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