THE NUTHATCH DEFIES HIM 183 



vehement denial. Long after chebec returned 

 to his own business the robin continued to 

 remonstrate and explain from the fence. To 

 all these demonstrations, though they contin- 

 ued for half an hour, chebec, calm in his 

 own tree, was perfectly indifferent. What he 

 wanted was to make the robin leave his pre- 

 mises, and that he had done, and what the 

 robin said about it afterward did not concern 

 him in the least. 



The only bird who refused to leave at the 

 bidding of this peremptory personage was 

 curiously enough one of nearly his own 

 size, and one with no reputation for belliger- 

 ency, a white-breasted nuthatch, a mother 

 at that, with one little one following her 

 about. When chebec descended upon this 

 pair like a small tornado, Mamma Nuthatch 

 met him with defiance, actually running at 

 him, driving him back to his own tree, and 

 then going on her way quietly, calmly utter- 

 ing her droll " quank ! quank ! " and stuffing 

 innumerable morsels into the mouth of her 

 charge. 



Madam Chebec is fully as " bumptious " 

 as her mate. In one place of study she laid 



