A WOODLAND INTIMATE. 37 



and, killing it, I held it before her. She 

 snapped at it in a twinkling, but retained 

 it, between her mandibles. Whether she 

 would finally have swallowed it I am not 

 able to say (and so must leave undecided a 

 very interesting and important question in 

 economic ornithology), for just then I re- 

 membered a piece of banana with which I 

 had been meaning to tempt her. Of this 

 she tasted at once, and, as I thought, found 

 it good ; for she transfixed it with her bill, 

 and, quitting her seat, carried it away and 

 deposited it on a branch. But instead of 

 eating it, as I expected to see her do, she 

 fell to fly-catching, while her mate promptly 

 appeared, and as soon as opportunity of- 

 fered took his turn at brooding. My eyes, 

 meanwhile, had not kept the two distinct, 

 and, supposing that the mother had re- 

 turned, I stepped up to offer her another 

 drink, but had no sooner filled the spoon 

 than the fellow took flight. At this the 

 female came to the rescue again, and un- 

 hesitatingly entered the nest. It was a 

 noble reproof, I thought ; well deserved, 

 and very handsomely administered. " Oh, 

 you cowardly dear," I fancied her saying, 



