44 



Bird -Lore 



fountain. The upshot of these observations was that thej^ must have some 

 Bluebirds to catch the insects in their own gardens. 



Without help or suggestion, a stick from the wood -pile and a discarded 

 bird -house were brought into requisition, toggled together with many 

 crippled nails, a hole dug and a house erected. 



As if at bidding again. Bluebirds built in the new house. I am inclined 

 to think they were the same pair, but, as we had ceased to feed at the win- 

 dow-sill, I am not certain. The brood of four hatched the seventeenth 

 of July and flew the second of August. How this brood happened to ap- 

 pear as you see them in the next pictures requires a word of explanation. 



A cold driving rain-storm prevailed the entire day, and, as I went down 

 the path with my umbrella, I heard the note of a young Bluebird in dis- 

 tress. Wet and cold, he was perched on one of the lower branches of the 

 cherry tree, and as I passed under I stopped a moment to look him over, 

 when the most unexpected thing happened that has ever fallen to my lot. 

 He deliberately flitted from his perch to the shelter of my umbrella and 

 lighted in the hollow of my elbow. I took him into the house and fed him 

 with mealworms, giving him a warm place by the kitchen stove. 



On my return an hour later, I fourid two Bluebirds in my day nursery, 

 and learned that the second little voyager had flown plump against our din- 

 ing-room window and had not knocked in vain. The other two were still 

 in the box — all but their wet little heads — crying loudly for food. I had not 

 seen a parent bird and did not see one about the nest the entire day. I 

 took some mealworms down and tried to feed them in the nest, but on my 

 approach they withdrew from the entrance and paid no heed to worms I 

 dangled in the doorway. I was about to leave them to their fate when an 

 idea happened to strike me at the right moment, and I gave the Bluebird 

 whistle. Instantly the entrance was occupied by two gaping mouths, which 



THREE BIRDS IN THE HAND 



