108 INSESSORES. 



that she might hear him ; but, seeing no appearance 

 of her, he returned once more, visited the nest, ven- 

 tured cautiously into the window, gazed about with 

 suspicious looks, his voice sinking to a low, melan- 

 choly note, as he stretched his little neck about in 

 every direction. Returning to the box, he seemed 

 for some minutes at a loss what to do, and soon after 

 went off, as I thought, altogether ; for I saw him no 

 more that day. Toward the afternoon of the second 

 day he again made his appearance, accompanied with 

 a new female, who seemed exceedingly timorous and 

 shy, and who, after great hesitation, entered the box. 

 At this moment the little widower or bridegroom 

 seemed as if he would warble out his very life with 

 ecstacy of joy. After remaining about half a minute 

 in, they both flew oif, but returned in a few minutes, 

 and instantly began to carry out the eggs, feathers, 

 and some of the sticks, supplying the place of the 

 two latter with materials of the same sort, and ulti- 

 mately succeeded in raising a brood of seven young, 

 all of which escaped in safety. 



" Its food is insects and caterpillars, and, while 

 supplying the wants of its young, it destroys, on a 

 moderate calculation, many hundreds a day, and 

 greatly circumscribes the ravages of these vermin. 

 It is a bold and insolent bird against those of the 

 Titmouse and Woodpecker kind that venture to build 

 within its jurisdiction ; attacking them without hesi- 

 tation, though twice its size, and generally forcing 

 them to decamp. I have known him to drive a pair 

 of Swallows from their newly formed nest, and take 



