88 WILD LIFE AND THE CAMERA 



bird, but another mishap was in store, and it was 

 one that very nearly proved fatal. He had been 

 allowed the free run of the house, and spent his 

 time in flying about from room to room, investi- 

 gating everything, devouring any stray flies, 

 crawling in each nook and cranny and nestling 

 for a few moments in places that were to his fancy, 

 and no one could tell what places he might 

 choose. Those that had been most carefully arranged 

 with special reference to his supposed wants were so 

 entirely ignored that we came to the conclusion that 

 we understood not his whims and fancies. But this 

 capriciousness had nothing to do with the accident 

 that occurred when he was flying through the hall 

 one morning, with the evident intention of joining 

 us at the breakfast table. Someone banged the door 

 just as Bluey was about to enter ; he was struck in 

 mid-air and uttered such a piercing cry that we all 

 thought he had been killed. By sheer good luck, 

 however, the door had only bruised the side of his 

 head, thereby changing its shape completely and 

 distorting his beak, so that his whole appearance was 

 altered. For many days he kept very quiet, neither 

 singing nor caring to be petted ; but gradually the 

 swelling went down as weeks passed by, and his head 

 resumed its natural size and shape. The result of 

 the accident was shown by his no longer being able 

 to snap his bill (the points not coming quite together) 

 as he used to do when eating. He took his food 

 quietly ; even a fly would be caught without the loud 

 snap so characteristic of the bluebird when feeding. 

 Bluebirds being almost entirely insectivorous, we 

 had to keep Bluey well supplied with various kinds 



