HESS] THE BLUEBIRDS 181 



deal of attention on his part, which she receives as a matter of 

 course, and no more than her just due. 



The male has a wealth of color : on his back is the tint of the 

 skies when clearest and most beautiful, and on his breast the brown 

 of the earth. The female's garments are not as gay as her mate's 

 and she has no song, but she is content to shine wnth borrowed 

 lustre and informs you with a queer little nod, "that it is all in the 

 family," so why does it matter? 



Late in spring when the birds with brighter garb arrive the blue- 

 bird does not appear so prominently, but who could forget that it 

 was he that brought to us the first joys of spring and inspired our 

 souls anew. 



Soon after the arrival of the little spring heralds, house-hunting 

 is begun, and as Mr. and Mrs. Bluebird are verv^ particular about 

 their abode ; it is a long and hard task consuming days and some- 

 times weeks. 



All sorts of holes, both natural and artificial, in trees, fence posts 

 and old buildings are examined. Sometimes a fence post is chosen 

 and oftentimes a bird house put out by some thoughtful and bird 

 loving person. While the female bird is perched on a neighboring 

 bough, her mate flies to the perch in front of the entrance of the 

 prospective nest, and peeps in, not for a moment interrupting his 

 warbling song. If he likes the looks of the abode, he calls in the 

 most tender tones to his mate, hops about in a fluttering of excite- 

 ment, and finally darts into the interior. The male always shows 

 a very tender love for his companion. 



Then after the site is chosen, both parents are seen for a few days 

 busily and happily engaged in bringing grasses, plant stems, bark 

 strips, and now and then a feather. They are ver\^ dainty nest 

 builders and work ver\' slowly, so they do not get their house done 

 and take possession imtil later than you really think. 



When the eggs, ranging from four to six in ntunber, are finally 

 laid, they are just the color that you would expect, a delicate blue 

 suggesting the sk\^ of a balmy day in spring. The male never strays 

 far from the nest while the female is brooding. He often flies to 

 her with a captured insect, sits on the perch before the entrance, 

 ever}' now and then peeping into the interior and singing to her his 

 most beautiful strains. After the birds are hatched the father is 

 still more husy and now the little mother assists, as it takes so 

 much food for this yotmg family. It is, indeed, astonishing what 



