6 SHARP EYES. 



tioned to the beak that held it. The young bird flut* 

 tered and fluttered and screamed, " I 'm stuck, I 'm 

 stuck," till the anxious parent again seized the morsel 

 and carried it to an iron railing, where she came down 

 upon it for the space of a minute with all the force 

 and momentum her beak could command. Then she 

 offered it to her young a third time, but with the 

 same result as before, except that this time the bird 

 dropped it ; but she was at the ground as soon as the 

 :icada was, and taking it in her beak flew some dis« 

 iance to a high board fence where she sat motionless; 

 for some moments. While pondering the problem 

 hew that fly should be broken, the male bluebird ap- 

 proached her, and said very plainly, and I thought 

 rather curtly, " Give me that bug," but she quickly 

 resented his interference and flew farther away, where 

 she sat apparently quite discouraged when I last sa\v 

 her. 



The bluebird is a home bird, and I am never tired 

 of recurring to him. Hi^ coming or reappearance in 

 the spring marks a new chapter in the progress of the 

 season ; things are never quite the same after one has 

 heard that note. The past spring the males came 

 about a week in advance of the females. A fine male 

 lingered about my grounds and orchard all the time, 

 apparently waiting the arrival of his mate. He called 

 'and warbled every day, as if he felt sure she was 

 within ear-shot, and could be hurried up. Now he 

 warbled half-angrily or upbraidingly, then coaxingly, 

 then cheerily and confidently, the next moment in a 

 plaintive, far-away manner. He would half open his 

 wings, and twinkle them caressingly, as if beckoning 

 his mate to his heart. One morning she had come, 

 but was shy and reserved. The fond male flew to 3 



