184 THE COMICAL CHEBEC 



claim to a row of five trees, because she had a 

 nest in one of them. She drove away chick- 

 adees, purple finches, and indeed any one 

 whom she could intimidate, by hurling her- 

 self upon them. I judged that it was Madam 

 because she did not sing, and I am sure che- 

 bec himself is not capable of long silence. 



At another time I caught her (again I 

 suppose it was the female, because she was 

 building) helping herself to her neighbor's 

 goods. At that time I was watching with 

 interest the making of a home by a Baltimore 

 oriole. She had hung her hammock from the 

 top branch of an elm-tree, and was putting 

 in the finishing touches, closely attended by 

 her mate. 



This gorgeously clad personage seemed to 

 consider it his duty to guard and protect only, 

 although this suspicion may do him an injus- 

 tice, for I have seen one of his kind, ready 

 and anxious to do his share of the work, not 

 allowed by his capable spouse to touch a 

 thread of the precious structure. Whatever 

 may have been the reason, the bird I was 

 watching was merely a protector, following 

 his busy partner afield for material, and alight- 



