OUR FRIENDS, THE BIRDS. ea 
where our young students could not follow them. 
Laura told the following story about a pair of Blue- 
birds she observed last year: 
‘‘T discovered a pair of Bluebirds inspecting a toy 
basket which I had accidentally left in a tree the sum- 
mer before. (Laura would like to be a bird herself, if 
she could, and sometimes chooses strange places for her 
play houses.) Mr. Bluebird was very much interested 
in the basket. He would alight on the edge or a twig 
near by, and call cheerily to Mrs. Bluebird. She was 
very slow in responding, and it was quite evident that 
she meant to have her own way in the matter. When, 
at last, she coudescended to inspect it, and finally de- 
cided that it would be satisfactory, Mr. Bluebird was 
wild with delight, and away they both flew for material 
to build the nest. Mrs. Bluebird did all of the work, 
while he fluttered about and sang, but after she had 
brought the grass and placed it to suit herself, she 
waited while Mr. Bluebird would go in and look at it, 
and he would come out exclaiming ‘tru-al-ly lov-ee-ly.’ 
(At least that is what Laura said, and she was 
there.) 
‘Soon the nest was completed, and six pale blue 
eggs were found in it. Now Mrs. Bluebird never left 
the nest, and Mr. Bluebird fed her regularly and 
cheered her by his pleasant songs until the little birds 
came. He was a devoted husband as long as I watched 
them, but, when the Robins began to build their nest 
close to the house, I forgot them for a few days, and, 
