THE BLUEBIRD. 219 



feeds her regularly. It is very pretty to watch them 

 building their nest. The male is very active in hunt- 

 ing out a place and exploring the boxes and cavities, 

 but seems to have no choice in the matter and is 

 anxious only to please and encourage his mate, who 

 has the practical turn and knows what will do and 

 what will not. After she has suited herself he ap- 

 plauds her immensely, and away the two go in quest 

 of material for the nest, the male acting as guard and 

 flying above and in advance of the female. She brings 

 all the material and does all the work of building, 

 he looking on and encouraging her with gesture and 

 song. He acts also as inspector of her work, but I 

 fear is a very_ partial one. She enters the nest 

 with her bit of dry grass or straw, and having ad- 

 justed it to her notion, withdraws and waits near 

 by while he goes in and looks it over. On com- 

 ing out he exclaims very plainly, "Excellent! ex- 

 cellent ! " and away the two go again for more ma- 

 terial. 



The bluebirds, when they build about the farm- 

 buildings, sometimes come in conflict with the swal- 

 lows. The past season I knew a pair to take forci- 

 ble possession of the domicile of a pair of the latter 

 the cliff species that now stick their nests under 

 the eaves of the barn. The bluebirds had been 

 broken up in a little bird-house near by, by the rats 

 or perhaps a weasel, and being no doubt in a bad 

 humor, and the season being well advanced, they 

 made forcible entrance into the adobe tenement of 



