BOYHOOD AND BIRDS. 85 



straightforward way, glided directly into the hole. We held 

 onr breaths and stood on tiptoe. Out she darts with a low 

 cry still holding the insect in her mouth. Our hearts sunk 

 she has discovered all and refuses to adopt the strangers ! 

 She flew to her mate and seemed to communicate some sad 

 intelligence to him. He was busily engaged in trimming 

 his feathers and merely straightened himself up for amoment, 

 and then with an air of the coolest indifference proceeded 

 with his occupation. The poor female seemed to be sadly 

 distressed and puzzled ; she flew around the nest uttering a 

 low, mournful cry then returned to her philosophical mate 

 for sympathy, which he seemed to be too busy with his 

 feathers to spare just now. Then she would dart into the 

 hole stay a moment, and out again with the insect still in 

 her mouth. Then she would circle round and round on the 

 wing as if searching for the cause of the disturbance, the na- 

 ture of which she evidently did not clearly understand. So 

 she continued to act until the male having arranged his feath- 

 ers to his liking flew off, with a pleasant call to her, in search 

 of more food. This seemed to decide her uncertainty, for, 

 darting now into the nest, she immediately fed the worm to 

 one of those lusty young fellows that had grown so won- 

 derfully since she last went out, and then came forth chirping 

 and apparently reconciled and followed her mate. 



" There ! it succeeds ! it succeeds ! They are safe now 

 these birds are more industrious than the mocking birds, and 

 will feed them better ! 'good ! good !" 



" Your fairy spell has succeeded, brother, sure enough !" 

 and she clapped her hands and danced for joy ; and I am not 

 sure that I did not join her most obstreperously, for I never 

 was more delighted in my life at the success of any little 

 scheme. 



I knew the birds were safe if the female ever fed them 

 once. So it proved ; for never did I see little fellows grow 

 with greater lustihood than they. Daily we watched them ; 

 and in ten days or two weeks were greatly amused to see the 



