216 THE BLUEBIRD. 



The western bluebird is considered a distinct spe- 

 cies, and is perhaps a little more brilliant and showy 

 than its Eastern brother ; and Nuttall thinks its 

 song is more varied, sweet, and tender. Its color 

 approaches to ultramarine, while it has a sash ol 

 chestnut-red across its shoulders, all the effects, I 

 expect, of that wonderful air and sky of California, 

 and of those great western plains ; or if one goes a 

 little higher up into the mountainous regions of the 

 West he finds the Arctic bluebird, the ruddy brown 

 on the breast changed to greenish-blue, and the wings 

 longer and more pointed ; in other respects not dif- 

 fering much from our species. 



The bluebird usually builds its nest in a hole in a 

 stump or stub, or in an old cavity excavated by a 

 woodpecker, when such can be had ; but its first im- 

 pulse seems to be to start in the world in much more 

 style, and the happy pair make a great show of house- 

 hunting about the farm-buildings, now half persuaded 

 to appropriate a dove-cot, then discussing in a lively 

 manner a last year's swallow's nest, or proclaiming 

 with much flourish and flutter that they have taken 

 the wren's house, or the tenement of the purple mar- 

 tin ; till finally nature becomes too urgent, when all 

 tfs pretty make-believe ceases, and most of them 

 settle back upon the old family stumps and knot- 

 holes in remote fields, and go to work in earnest. 



In such situations the female is easily captured by 

 approaching very stealthily and covering the entrance 

 to (he nest. The bird seldom makes any effort tc 



