46 A-BIRDING ON A BRONCO. 



tion, came to investigate, but when she saw what 

 was happening held back against the side of a 

 twig as though afraid of getting struck, and soon 

 flew off, having no desire to get mixed up in that 

 affray. 



When the wren-tit had at last been driven from 

 his position, the gnatcatchers flew up into a tree 

 and, standing near together, talked the matter 

 over excitedly. Then one of them went back to 

 the nest, reached down into it and brought up 

 something that it appeared to be eating. Its mate 

 went to the nest and did the same, after which 

 one of them flew away with a broken eggshell. 

 When the little creatures turned away from the 

 plundered nest they broke out into cries of dis- 

 tress that were pitiful to hear. I felt indignant 

 at the wren-tit. How could a bird with eggs of 

 its own do such a cruel thing ? But then, I re- 

 flected, we who pretend to be better folks than 

 wren-tits do not always spare our neighbors be- 

 cause of our own troubles. When the poor birds 

 had carried away their broken eggshell, one of 

 them came and tugged at the nest lining till it 

 pulled out a long horse-hair arid what looked like 

 a feather, apparently trying to take out every- 

 thing that the egg had soiled. 



When the little housekeeper w r as working over 

 her nest, a brown towhee flew into the tree. On 

 the instant there was a flash of wings the gnat 

 was ready for war. But after a fair look at the 



