Bluebird Tenants 



15 



reached with pinning-forceps, with which in her absence it was removed. 

 The old birds looked once at the body as it lay on the shelf, but paid no 

 further attention to it. 



One more tragedy remains to be recorded. Early on the sixteenth day, 

 flies buzzed again about the window. The absence of both parents sug- 

 gested the fearful thought that perhaps all of the rest of the brood had died. 

 Reassured at last that the nest was not deserted, the house was lifted from 

 the shelf and carried to the kitchen table, where its roof was quickly taken 

 of?. Within was one dead bird and one living one. When this sole survivor 

 of the brood was lifted out he showed no fear, but cuddled down confidingly 

 in the hand and at the whistled call-note opened his mouth for a meal-worm. 

 It was not long, after the nest was put back on the shelf, before the old 

 birds came with food. 



Three days later, when he was nineteen days old, fear developed, and on 

 being placed on a couch he hopped away hurriedly to hide behind a radiator. 

 In the afternoon he gave from the nest, for the first time, the call-note, and 

 five minutes later scrambled up to the opening. Hopping to the edge of the 

 shelf, he called again, and then, putting his trust in his untried wings, he flew 

 straight ofif and up to a tree one hundred feet away. The old birds had been 

 watching and followed now, guarding his course till he alighted. Another 

 flight to the roof of the neighboring house, with some imperfect attempts 

 at stopping, and he was ofif to the hill, still tended by his watchful parents. 



An hour later the male came back to the nest-porch, and seated himself 

 against the entrance. Now and then he looked inquiringly into the nest. 

 The umbrella had been taken down, but after it was raised he came again 

 and took a drink; after that he disappeared and nothing more was seen of 

 the Bluebird tenants. 



A BLLEBIRD HOME 

 Photographed from nature by F. E. Howe, Sterling, 111. 



