AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 



33 



the little birds, who seemed very much excited and doubtless wished 

 me anywhere except there. Despite their angry expostulations, I 

 grasped the limb, drew myself up, and peered within the opening. 

 There, upon a bed composed of twigs, and lined with hair and fine gras- 

 ses, were nine small, finely speckled, pinkish eggs. Here was the cause 

 of their present anxiety, as well as the male bird's previous jollity, which 

 had betrayed his presence. 



During the next two months, I visited this charming couple frequent- 

 ly, and when I came to know them better, designated her as "Jenny," 

 and for want of a better name, called him "Jack." She soon became 

 quite tame, and would enter or leave the nest, even when I was standing 

 beside it. I think Jack must have been jealous, for he was always shy 

 and scolded me when I came. 



F^hoto from life. 



The nest hole was barely above my head, and well lighted by the sun, 

 in fact, it could not have been better situated for photographic purposes. 

 While I was placing the camera in position, both birds were scolding in- 

 cessantly. Jenny bopped to a twig about thre^-feet from me and, with 

 her bill wide open, uttered continually a peculiar chattering sound, not 

 nnlike the buzzing of a swarm of bees. As soon as I withdrew a few 



