SHARP EYES. 7 



knot-hole in an old apple-tree, and coaxed her to hia 

 side. I heard a fine confidential warble, — the old, 



old story. But the female flew to a near tree, and 

 uttered her plaintive, homesick note The male went 

 and got some dry grass or bark in his beak, and flew 

 again to the hole in the old tree, and promised unre- 

 mitting devotion, but the other said " nay.'* and fl 

 away in the distance. When he saw her going, or 

 rather heard her distant note, he dropped his stuff, 

 and cried out in a tone that said plainly enough, 

 (i Wait a minute. One word, please," and rlew swiftly 

 in pursuit. He won her before long, however, and 

 early in April the pair were established in one of the 

 four or five boxes I had put up for them, but not 

 until they had changed their minds several times. As 

 soon as the first brood had flown, and while they were 

 yet under their parents' care, they began another nest 

 in one of the other boxes, the female, as usual, doing 

 all the work, and the male all the complimenting. 



A source of occasional great distress to the mother- 

 bird was a white cat that sometimes followed me 

 about. The cat had never been known to catch a 

 bird, but she had a way of watching them that was 

 very embarrassing to the bird. Whenever she ap- 

 peared, the mother bluebird would set up that pitiful 

 melodious plaint. One morning the cat was standing 

 by me, when the bird came with her beak loaded with 

 building material, and alighted above me to sun 

 the place before going into the box. When she saw 

 the cat, she was greatly disturbed, and in her agitation 

 could not keep her hold upon all her material. Straw 

 after straw came eddying down, till not half her origi- 

 nal burden remained. After the cat had gone away, 

 the bird's alarm subsided, till, presently seeing the 



