198 The Bluebird 



The first week in April, after a very careful inspec- 

 tion of the house inside and out, a pair of bluebirds 

 decided to remain. They commenced the nest at 

 once, using fine grass as material, and the sounds of 

 their building could be heard very distinctly through 

 the telephone receiver. The third day a great com- 

 motion was heard over the line, and upon investigating 

 I found that some English sparrows were trying to 

 turn the bluebirds out. After two days of disturbance 

 the bluebirds were victorious, but the male bird kept 

 a very careful watch about the box for several days, 

 proving himself to be a veritable "blue streak" to 

 every English sparrow that came within a hundred 

 feet of his home. 



In due season the nest was finished, and on April 

 twenty-third there were five eggs. By May seventh 

 all the eggs were hatched. The peeping of the little 

 birds and the quieting notes of the mother could be 

 plainly heard through the receiver. The notes varied 

 greatly in pitch and quality; the mother bird using 

 certain notes that the little ones appeared to answer, 

 just as chickens will respond to certain sounds and 

 movements of the hen. A certain note from the 

 mother hen will call the chickens, while another will 

 send them immediately to cover, if a hawk appears 

 in the sky. 



