Sept., 1907 TWO STUDIES IN BLUE 125 



year has there been less than two broods reared and several times three. The 

 record year was in 1904 when the bluebirds had two families of seven and one of 

 five birds, and succeeded in raising them all. Seven is a large family for bluebirds 

 and it is more remarkable that there should have been seven in the second brood 

 and then a third brood. In the eight years there have been over one hun- 

 dred and ten young bluebirds hatched in this box in the apple tree. One would 

 think the bird world would soon be overcrowded with bluebirds about the farm. 

 There seem to be no more bluebirds there than eight years ago, altho there are 

 generally two or three other broods raised in other boxes nearby. It all goes to 

 show how the bird population decreases in numbers. The new birds of each year 

 take the place of the numbers that die during the winter. Birds have so many 

 enemies that we know not of. Many die of disease, many starve or die of cold, 

 and many are killed by birds of prey and animals that hunt small birds. 



It would be interesting to know whether the same pair returns each year to the 

 box in the tree, or how many different pairs have lived there. Sometimes the same 



PARENT BLUEBIRD JUST DRAWING BACK AFTER PLACING FOOD IN YOUNG BIRD'S MOUTH 



pair have returned, but it is improbable that they have lived longer than three or 

 four years. If one of the birds died, the other may have taken another mate and 

 returned to the same home. 



In the side of our tank-house we bored two holes about four feet apart and 

 nailed up boxes on the inside. One of these was soon taken by a bluebird. The 

 female went in and looked the box thru and in a moment came out and perched on 

 the wire while the male took a look. The next day the female began carrying 

 straws. She had a devoted husband, but he was merely an attendant when it 

 came to work. He watched and applauded, but he didn't help build. I don't 

 know but that he was too lazy; or maybe he didn't know whether his wife wanted 

 him bothering while she was building to suit herself. It looked to me as if he 

 were ornamental without being useful. But after watching awhile, it seemed that 

 it was her duty to build and his to watch and encourage. When she carried in the 

 material and fixed it, she popped out of the hole and waited while he went in to 



