34 Passing of the Bluebird 



their superiors at times, and learn a useful 

 lesson. I witnessed a combat recently be- 

 tween a pair of sparrows and a great crested 

 fly-catcher. The nest of the latter had been 

 tampered with, but the sparrows had cause 

 to regret their impudence. Not only was 

 their own nest destroyed, but both the 

 birds soundly thrashed. There was a great 

 commotion at the time among the birds 

 of the orchard, and if the varied utter- 

 ances of a dozen species could be translated 

 we should have some most interesting read- 

 ing. Scores of birds witnessed the battle, 

 and, as none were silent, I fancied the 

 sounds to be comments on the progress of 

 the fray. 



The little house wrens, with whom blue- 

 birds are always associated in our minds, 

 fare better than their one-time companions. 

 When once in possession of their homes 

 they prove able to defend them successfully, 

 and I do not find these cheerful creatures 

 less abundant than formerly, though fewer 

 are found nesting in the immediate vicinity 

 of dwellings. They have been inconveni- 

 enced by the sparrows, but not actually 

 driven out of whole sedlions of the country. 



