THE BLUEBIRD 193 
scene in a hurry. He warbles and lifts his wings 
beseechingly, but shows no anger or disposition to 
scold and complain like most birds. Indeed, this \ 
bird seems incapable of uttering a harsh note, or ae 
doing a spiteful, ill-tempered thing. 
The ground-builders all have some art or device 
to decoy one away from the nest, affecting lameness, 
a crippled wing, or a broken back, promising an 
easy capture if pursued. The tree-builders depend 
upon concealing the nest or placing it beyond reach. 
But the bluebird has no art either way, and its nest 
is easily found. 
About the only enemies the sitting bird or the 
nest is in danger of are snakes and squirrels. I 
knew of a farm-boy who was in the habit of putting 
his hand down into a bluebird’s nest and taking out 
the old bird whenever he came that way. One day 
he put his hand in, and, feeling something peculiar, 
withdrew it hastily, when it was instantly followed 
by the head and neck of an enormous black snake. 
The boy took to his heels and the snake gave chase, 
pressing him close till a plowman near by came to 
the rescue with his ox-whip. 
There never was a happier or more devoted hus- 
band than the male bluebird is. But among nearly 
all our familiar birds the serious cares of life seem 
to devolve almost entirely upon the female. The 
male is hilarious and demonstrative, the female ‘ 
serious and anxious about her charge. The male is 
the attendant of the female, following her wherever | 
she goes. He never leads, never directs, but only - 
