BIRD COURTSHIP 49 



she would respond and fly about halfway to an 

 apple-tree, and look toward him. The other male, 

 in the mean time, did his best to persuade her to 

 cast her lot with him. He followed her to the tree 

 toward his rival, and then flew back to the nest and 

 spread his plumage and called and warbled, oh, so 

 confidently, so fondly, so reassuringly ! When the fe- 

 male would return and peep into the hole in the tree, 

 what fine, joyous notes he would utter! then he 

 would look in and twinkle his wings, and say some- 

 thing his rival could not hear. This vocal and pan- 

 tomimic contest went on for a long time. The fe- 

 male was evidently greatly shaken in her allegiance 

 to the male in the old apple-tree. In less than an 

 hour another female responded to the male who had 

 sought the eaves of the study, and flew with him 

 to the box. Whether this was their first meeting 

 or not I do not know, but it was clear enough that 

 the heart of the male was fixed upon the bride of 

 his rival. He would devote himself a moment to the 

 new-comer, and then turn toward the old apple-tree 

 and call and lift his wings ; then, apparently admon- 

 ished by the bird near him, he would turn again to 

 her and induce her to look into the box, and would 

 warble fondly; then up on a higher branch again, 

 with his attention directed toward his first love, be- 

 tween whom and himself salutations seemed con- 

 stantly passing. This little play went on for some 

 time, when the two females came into collision, and 



