32 LOCUSTS AND WILD HONEY 



the work, and the male all the complimenting. A 

 source of occasional great distress to the mother bird 

 was a white cat that sometimes followed me about. 

 The cat had never been known to catch a bird, but 

 she had a way of watching them that was very em- 

 barrassing to the bird. Whenever she appeared, the 

 mother bluebird would set up that pitiful melodious 

 plaint. One morning the cat was standing by me, 

 when the bird came with her beak loaded with build- 

 ing material, and alighted above me to survey the 

 place before going into the box. When she saw the 

 cat she was greatly disturbed, and in her agitation 

 could not keep her hold upon all her material. Straw 

 after straw came eddying down, till not half her 

 original burden remained. After the cat had gone 

 away the bird's alarm subsided, till presently, see- 

 ing the coast clear, she flew quickly to the box and 

 pitched in her remaining straws with the greatest 

 precipitation, and, without going in to arrange them, 

 as was her wont, flew away in evident relief. 



In the cavity of an apple-tree but a few yards off, 

 and much nearer the house than they usually build, 

 a pair of high-holes, or golden-shafted woodpeckers, 

 took up their abode. A knothole which led to the 

 decayed interior was enlarged, the live wood being 

 cut away as clean as a squirrel would have done it. 

 The inside preparations I could not witness, but day 

 after day, as I passed near, I heard the bird hammer- 

 ing away, evidently beating down obstructions and 

 shaping and enlarging the cavity. The chips were 

 not brought out, but were used rather to floor the 



